Blaze
by Nate-Mihael
Summary: As Ozai asks Azulon to betray Iroh and name him heir, Azulon orders him to slay his favoured child, Azula. The siblings hear this from behind the curtains, and Zuko steps in to stop it. Snowball effect story, where a small plot change has huge consequences. The War is far more prominent than in the series and the world of Avatar more realistic. Fic is darker than you'd think. TOKO
1. Chapter 1

"You dare suggest I betray Iroh?" Azulon spat with venom. "My first born! Directly after the demise of his only beloved son! I think Iroh has suffered enough, but you…" The flames around him roared as he roared at his son, who was kneeling unfazed before him. "Your punishment has scarcely begun!" The flames around the old Fire Lord flared in agreement.

Behind a nearby curtain, all of Zuko's instincts were telling him to bolt. To flee from this place and run to the safety of his mother's arms. Glancing at Azula, he saw she was smiling sadistically at scene unfolding before her and not in the least bit scared. He wouldn't run if she didn't, Zuko decided. The smile on her face widened at her grandfather's next words.

"You wish to be Fire Lord in Iroh's stead? You may be, if you pay the price! Iroh has lost his heir, and so will you! Slay your heir prince Ozai, and feel Iroh's pain!" Azulon spat at his son.

Ozai rose, looking his father in the eyes. "… It shall be done. Before the next dawn, Zuko's life will end by my hand." There was a sadness in his eyes, but that was quickly replaced by an iron resolve. "May I take my leave, so I can see the deed done?" He inquired of his lord.

The smile on Azulon's face would make Koh shiver. "You misunderstand, prince Ozai. Zuko may be your heir in the eyes of the Fire Nation, but he is _not_." Ozai's eyes widened, already feeling where this was going. Azulon continued, undisturbed. "_Azula_ is your heir in all but name. For you to be Fire Lord, you will slay _her._ Only then will you comprehend your brother's pain."

((*))

Azula had gone pale near the end of her grandfather's order, shrinking into the shadows and shaking her head in disbelief. Her father wouldn't do that to her. He'd refuse… why wasn't he saying anything?

Beside her Zuko jumped from behind the curtain and into the view of the two men. Despite her terror, she mentally face-palmed herself. What was that idiot doing? Didn't he know the point of spying was _not _to be seen? Typical Zu-Zu.

"You can't!" He exclaimed. "You can't do that to her!"

… had she heard correctly? Zuko was standing up to two Firebending masters for _her _sake? Before she had the time to analyze the absurdity of that, he marched further into the room and kneeled before the Fire Lord. Azulon gazed down on him, impassively.

"I beg you, my lord, to take that order back." Zuko spoke, only a slight hitch of nervousness in his voice. "She has done nothing to deserve this." Actually, Azula thought, she'd done plenty of things to deserve this. Well. Now was not the time to bring that up.

Azulon rose and started walking towards Zuko, the flames parting before him. When he stood over de kneeling child, he addressed him.

"Young Zuko, prince Ozai must understand pain his brother is going through." The old lord spoke. "And for that, he must slay his heir." His voice challenged Zuko to defy him, to prove him wrong.

Zuko looked up at the man. She could not see his eyes, but she knew they were filled with unshed tears. Ozai stood to the side, watching things unfold. Zuko swallowed and spoke in a small voice.

"Take me…" He said.

Azulon raised an eyebrow, and Azula thought her mind must be playing tricks on her. He couldn't have said that-

"Take me instead." Zuko said, his voice stronger, his shoulders set in determination.

Azulon regarded the boy through impassive eyes, to all intends an purposes looking like he was contemplating what flavor of tea he was going to have. Azula, for her part, was completely confused. What was that fool doing? He hated her! For years! Because she was stronger, smarter, faster and she had father's love- What was he doing? Did he think he could just march out and die for her like that? Without thinking, she to stepped out from behind the curtain and yelled.

"You idot!" Zuko jumped slightly at the sound of her voice, Ozai's head snapped in her direction with wide eyes and Azulon lazily shifted his gaze from Zuko to her. "What do you think you're doing?" she continued. "This could get you killed!" And since when had she cared about that? Not before today, that's for sure. Stupid Zuko, making her feel like this.

Azulon drew his gaze back to Zuko and spoke, every word sounding like a coffin slamming shut. "You would die for her?" The question was so simple, the answers to it simpler still. Without hesitation Zuko answered with a loud and clear "Yes."

That stopped Azula dead in her tracks, as it did all the people present in the room. Azulon regarded Zuko for a moment longer before he turned to Ozai. "You son has more honor than you, prince Ozai." He spoke with a soft voice and Ozai hung his head. He then drew himself up to his full height and spoke. "I was trying to serve our-"

Azulon cut him off. "I do not care what you were trying to do. I care about what you did, and _would _do." Azulon looked his son square in the eye. "Prince Ozai, your right to inherit is hereby formally revoked. After Iroh, the throne will pass to Zuko. You will _never_ be Fire Lord." He finished. Ozai looked for a moment as if he was about to argue, but then shut his mouth, closed his eyes and bowed his head, defeated.

Azulon turned away from his second son to address his grandchildren. Azula had made her way to stand slightly behind Zuko. If anyone were to claim she was hiding behind him, she'd deny it.

"As for you two," Azulon began "whether you are of the royal family or not, spying on the fire lord and speaking against a Fire Lords orders are still serious crimes. Will you accept your punishment?" His tone was dangerously mild Azula noted. Before she had a chance to retort, Zuko spoke again.

"I put Azula up to it. The blame is mine."

Azula turned to him infuriated. What was he doing? She was already out of the danger zone, he didn't need to protect her anymore!

Or did he? Azulon had said _Zuko_ would be Fire Lord after Iroh. He had _not_ said she was off the hook. She turned to the old men, fear and defiance mingled in her stance. Azulon had a look on his face that clearly said that he knew Zuko was lying, but instead of calling the boy out on it he simply said "I see."

And then a blazing fist punched Zuko's face and someone screamed.

((*))

Ursa stepped into the garden later that evening. She set herself at the turtle duck pond. The ducks had already gathered in anticipation of a feast. The man next to her held a loaf of bread, but was not feeding it to the eager animals.

With a small sigh, she gently took the loaf from him and tore into it, feeding the pieces to eager mouths.

"… how is he?" Ozai asked quietly, as if afraid to speak with her about this. He might be in the right there, she considered.

"The damage is mostly on the surface. He will scar, but he will not be hindered by it." She answered. She left it at that, letting him gather his thoughts. Smacking him over his head might be tempting considering Ozai's actions today but he was easier to talk to if she refrained.

At least for now.

"… and Azula?" He asked, again with the same caution in his voice. Ursa answered again, still resisting the urge to yell at him.

"Azula is fine. She's confused, if anything. She won't leave his bedside and seems to be particularly worried still." That was perhaps the only good thing that had come out of this mess. Azula seemed to be genuinely concerned about Zuko, even though he was completely stable now.

Ozai remained silent after that, collecting his thoughts. They sat there, as they had sat countless times, before the pond. Feeding its inhabitants and talking about their day. Talking about their joys and their sorrows. After a while, Ozai sighed.

"I wanted to help our nation, Ursa." He spoke in a clear voice. "Iroh is needed in the field. He has tactical talents that no one else has, that I-" he swallowed and sat on his pride, Ursa could tell. "That I never had, and never will have. The Earth Kingdom fears him as Sozin reborn." Ozai looked into the distance, the light of dusk making his handsome features into something sensual and ephemeral. Ursa would keep him like that forever, were it not for the pain in his golden eyes.

"And father is not going to live forever, despite his good health now. A year, two, a decade! It will fail him, and Iroh would come home again to be the new Fire Lord, leaving the Eath Kingdom to rise against us when he's gone and all our work will have been for naught." Ozai drew a shuddering breath. "He could conquer the world, break the walls of Ba Sing Se and make his seat _there_. I could back him from here, bringing order to the defeated barbarians Iroh leaves in his wake, give him the means to break his foes and make them civilized people." Ozai's look went from pain, to agony. "Where did I go wrong, Ursa?"

He turned to her now, eyes imploring her. She was silent for a moment, her earlier anger all but forgotten. "You were to hasty." She answered at length. "You weren't willing to wait for what may well have been yours in time. It has cost you your chance, your daughter's sense of security and your son's face." She laid her hand on the side of his face. "I am not happy with what you did and even less with what you _might_ have done, but your _intent_ was good and plan was sound." She smiled slyly. "At least, _I_ think it was."

Ozai grasped the hand on his face and brought it to his mouth, giving every finger a kiss, never taking his eyes away from her. She felt herself blushing like a maiden, but refused to back down. After he was finished with the last digit, he smirked at her. "Well, I was trying to impress you, as always." He glanced down at his ropes where one of the turtle duck chicks was trying to eat his knee and failing. He picked the little thing up and put it back with his mother, narrowly avoiding getting bitten by their mother. When he turned to Ursa again, his eyes were serious.

"I think that we should take a long holiday on Ember Island as soon as Zuko is fit to travel. Away from all this." _Away from my father _went unspoken, but she heard it.

"Yes." She agreed. "The kids will like that.

((*))

She was in the throne room, kneeling before the flames surrounding the Fire Lord.

_You misunderstand, prince Ozai._

The sound came from everywhere and nowhere at once, yet she knew it came from the shadow behind the flames. The same shadow that was now walking toward her, flames parting before it.

_Azula is your heir in all but name._

The voice spoke again. The shadow now stood before her, looming over her. She wanted to run, to crawl, to beg for mercy, but she could utter not a single word.

_For you to be Fire Lord, you will slay her._

The shadow's voice came from all direction again and as it spoke all the flames in world went out, leaving it pitch black, but the shadow became crystal clear. Her father looked at her, and when it next spoke it was his voice that resounded all around her.

_Only then will you comprehend your brother's pain._

A fist of flame rushed at her face and she cried out.

((*))

Zuko awakened to the sound of a gasp to his right. He opened his eyes only to find that his left saw nothing. He could feel bandages and a cushion on the left side of his face. As he turned his face toward the sound of the gasp he dully recalled what had happened. Father's proposition. Grandfather's response. His own objection. His punishment.

His eyes landed on Azula, who was sitting in a chair next to his bed. She was huddled into her blanket, staring at nothing with wide eyes and gasping. He tried to call her, but his lips and throat were parched. He tried again, getting a rasping sound as a result. At his third try, he managed to get her name out there.

Her head snapped to him at the sound and she jumped of the chair and ran to a basin with a goblet next to it. She filled the goblet and brought it to him, holding it to his lips. Zuko drank it, all the while wondering why she was being considerate for him. It wasn't usual for her. His thirst quenched, he sat up and was immediately overcome by sluggishness. He collapsed against the pillows, slightly higher than were he lay previously. Azula reached out and helped him sit against the headboard, placing pillows to support him comfortably. While she did this, she explained that the painkillers the physicians had given had made him sluggish, but that they would be needed for a while yet.

He only registered the gist of what she said, still bemused at her behavior.

"Are you listening Zu-Zu?"

"Don't call me that." He replied absently, caught himself and continued. "And I'm trying to."

Both were silent for a moment, him sitting against the headboard and her standing beside the bed and chewing her lip.

"Thank you." She said after a minute of silence. "You probably saved my life." And if that was not hurt in her voice, Zuko was a deaf boy.

"Probably." He agreed. "But you're alive." He grinned at her, ignoring the slight ache it brought to the left side of his face. "That's what counts. It's not like he would ever hurt you, Azula." A pity he couldn't say the same for himself.

Azula shook her head and tried for a smile. It came looking rather sheepish. "So. Crown prince huh? Little Zu-Zu is growing up."

Zuko's visible eye widened. He was slightly disturbed that he could not feel his left eye widening along with it, but for now he's blamed that on the painkillers making him numb.

"Yeah, I am, aren't I?"

"Yes, but that is not something you need to concern yourself with right now." Spoke a voice from the door.

There stood Ozai in all his glory, looking the very epitome of nobility. At least, he would look like that were it not for the bags under his eyes. Both children tensed, remembering the events of yesterday clearly. Ozai strode toward them and halted just shy of them. He looked at them both, closed his eyes and took a deep breath through the nose. He looked like he was preparing for battle.

When his eyes opened, they were fixed on Zuko. "I owe you an apology, son." He started and Zuko's eye widened again. "I should not have even _considered_ sacrificing you," he glanced at Azula "or your sister. You are my children, my heirs. Yesterday has made it abundantly clear that both of you are of Sozin's line, blood and bone." His voice softened, but it carried to their ears even louder than a war horn. "I swear upon my honor, that I will never harm you, or allow you to come to harm." He looked them both in the eye and repeated "You are my heirs, and I will die before I see you hurt."

All they could do was nod numbly as he turned and strode for the door. "As soon as you're fit to travel, we will depart for Ember Island." He called over his shoulder. "Perhaps there, we can learn to be family again."

((*))

Authors note: Yeah, sorry about any typos and grammer mistakes. English is not my native language.

This plot bunny's been bouncing through my skull since forever. "Your suffering has scarcely begun!" and then order him to kill the one child he has that he would LOVE to be rid of? Makes no sense.

Furthermore, Fire LORD implies a male as the default option. Kill the last male heir and leave the throne open for a woman? Unlikely. But order Ozai to kill his _favored child_ and we got a whole different ballgame.

I try to write the characters correctly, and I imagine I messed up badly. Particularly Ozai. I just figured that if Ozai could not be Fire Lord like this, he'd shift all his effort and attention to his heirs. Is Ozai still a prick? Yes. Is he pure evil such as the canon (meant for children) would have us believe? No. Shades of grey, dear readers. Shades of grey.

The next chapter will be longer and be up in a few days.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: first things first; I humbly thank all reviewers for their kind words. Makes writing this all the more fun. 13 reviews, 7 faves and 12 followers. Color me impressed! See if I can bump that review number up to 20 with this chap.

Btw, I've heard that disclaimers have no legal weight but is seems to be tradition.

Disclaimer: I do not own avatar the last airbender. If I did, Toph would be the main character. I do however own the hyena shark in this chapter.

Warning. Animal cruelty ahead. I do not support cruelty to animals. Azula, however, does.

((*))

Zuko sighed, breathing in the salty air of the late morning. The waves of the open sea slammed against the hull of their ship and Azula was lobbing fireballs at the toucan puffins circling their ship.

"Azula! Stop roasting the poor birds!" Ursa called to her daughter, hands on her hips and a frown on her face.

"But mom! They're everywhere!" Azula whined, gesturing wildly with her arms. "One's even nested on Zuko's head!" That much was true, and the blasted bird was getting _very _annoying. It's pretty hard to read a scroll while a bird takes an occasional shot at your temple. Yet, shooing it had only caused it to flutter about his head for a moment before it settled back again on-

_Tocktock_

"Cut it out!" Zuko yelled, flailing his scroll and causing the bird to fly away. He sighed and opened the scroll again, and the bird landed on his head again. He sighed again and gripped the bridge of his nose. At least it wasn't going for his scar. A week of constant attention by the royal physicians had seen it healed brilliantly, but it was still sensitive.

_Tocktock_

"Talk to her Ozai!" Ursa addressed her husband as soon as he appeared on deck, obviously alerted by the sound of mayhem.

Ozai nodded sternly and turned to his daughter. "Azula!" She snapped to attention immediately, Zuko noted. "Don't waste your fire like that! Either you hit one or you don't shoot at all. Clear?" Ozai raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes father!" Azula closed her eyes and waited for an opening in the swarm of birds. As her eyes snapped open again, she launched a single blast of fire that struck one of the birds clean out of the air, dropping it to the ocean below.

"I hit it father!" Azula cried gleefully, running to the railing to see the fallen avian warrior float on the waves close to the ship. "Where's the net? We've got to catch it!" She cried enthusiastically before her face contorted into an expression of anger. "What does that hyena shark think it's doing? Hey! That's mine don't you dare- spit it out! Spit it out, I command you! Oh you did _not_ poke your tongue out at me! That's it, you're going down!" Azula's rant ended with her climbing onto the railing and getting ready to jump in.

"Azula don't!" Ursa yelled, terrified.

"Azula." Ozai spoke, his tone dangerously low as he strode toward his daughter. Azula turned to him with a slightly fearful expression. As Ozai reached her he pulled two objects out of his robes.

"You forgot your floaties." He spoke with all the rebuke of a mother turtle duck.

Azula pouted but held out her arms so Ozai could attach the offensive pink items. Zuko sniggered until the bird on his head had another go at his temple.

_Tocktock _

A twitch was the result. Ozai's voice resounded across the deck with all the authority of a general in a warzone. "I'm expecting sushi within two minutes."

Azula saluted and dove into the water, dragging a lifeline along with her to get back up. A splash was heard, followed by the sounds of fire, cackling and a dying hyena shark. One minute and thirty seconds later the fish was launched onto the deck, a clean shot through its head and its fins burned slightly. Azula followed shortly after, grinning.

"That's my girl. You there!" Ozai pointed at the nearest guard on duty. "Take this to the cook. We're having it for lunch."

_Tocktock _

"Aaagh!" An explosion came from the other end of the deck. Zuko stood there, his scroll incinerated, the deck around him scorched black, his clothes covered in burned feathers and the bird on his head roasted (and fortunately dead). He was breathing heavily and his right eye was twitching.

In response Ozai walked up to him, reached for the bird, tore of a wing, blew on it and took bite.

"… could use some seasoning." He muttered while chewing. "What was that scroll you blew up?" He asked Zuko.

"It was on explosive firebending." Zuko replied, still twitching. Ozai looked at him for a moment, still chewing. "Well, I guess it served its purpose." He said at length. "You and your sister, go clean up for lunch. I'll not have you two dripping and smoking at our table."

Zuko nodded and started walking to the royal quarters. Azula made to follow when Ursa sighed loudly and cradled her head in her hands. "Sozin's line is insane." She muttered.

The replies varied. Azula disagreed. "Not really, insanity is more like this." She cleared her throat and lobbed several fireballs in random directions cackling and yelling "I am Melon Lord! Muwahahaha!" after which she did a complete emotional whiplash and was calm again. "See? _That's _insane."

Ursa looked to Zuko for aid and found none. He just jabbed a thumb at his scar. "Sozin's line is insane? I hadn't noticed really." Ozai's reply didn't help matters.

"Well she may have a point," He spoke, finishing his bird wing and looking at Zuko with a considering expression. "a sane person would have ducked."

((*))

In the courtyard of their beach house, Ozai was going through basic firebending forms. Iroh had always stressed that, and rightly so. When a six year old Ozai started learning the art, he had been impatient and wanted power quickly. Iroh, who had been assigned to teach him, shot that thought down quickly. 'how do you build a palace, little brother?' He had asked. The answer was obvious, once give. 'From the ground up and brick by brick.'

Moving through the basics gave him time to think. If he could not be Fire Lord, than that was that. He would not risk civil war for his own desires. The Fire Nation had naught to gain that way. He'd come to terms with that harsh fact on the way to Ember Island. There was no way around it. His honor wouldn't allow it. But he _could_ prepare his children for what was to come. Zuko _would_ one day be Fire Lord, he'd see to that, but right now the boy was just a scarred child with mediocre firebending skills and no sense of politics or military strategy. He'd have to change that in the next few years. Azula would be an easier challenge, but a challenge none the less. The girl was fierce and smart, a true prodigy. She was also ambitious and cruel. Both were traits he supported, but he needed to ensure that she pointed her fangs at the rest of the world, and not at Zuko.

He'd need his brothers help with this, which brought with it its own load of problems. Azula had talents more similar to Iroh's than his own, and therefore he'd need Iroh to make them manifest properly.

However, he had no idea how Iroh would respond to what Ozai had done, and what he might have done. Ozai supposed it would be an angry sparring match, some heated words, a calming cup of tea and then they'd be done. That was how it always went. But _then_ Iroh had not been grieving for Lu Ten. The messenger hawk that had arrived yesterday as they were unloading the cargo (mostly books and scrolls) had held a message from Azulon, stating that Iroh was staying in the Earth Kingdom for a month yet to ensure that the colonies would be alright when he left for the Fire Nation. This gave Ozai time, and he would use it well. A door to the side opened and Azula and Zuko stepped into the courtyard. Both were dressed in simple, thin red robes and shorts, perfect for the weather on Ember Island. He himself had not bothered with the robe, walking about in a pair of wide red shorts tied around his waist with a yellow sash. His wife didn't mind in the least.

He stopped his exercise and gave them his full attention. Azula wasted no time.

"You said we'd practice."

He nodded. He'd been looking forward to this.

"You two warm up first. I'll spar with Azula first. Zuko, you will observe and tell me if she, or myself, does anything we shouldn't be doing."

Azula and Zuko got to their stretches immediately. After, Zuko moved off to the side and stood there, keeping is breath even and his body swaying ever so slightly, stretching his muscles absently still. Ozai noted this with good grace. It would make no sense to have him cool down during his spar with Azula.

Speak of the devil- he quickly dodged a ball of fire that soared for his head, hitting the ground in a crouched position from which he sprang almost immediately to avoid a low stroke of fire made by Azula's kick. He mentally congratulated her on her tactical approach. He never said she had to wait for his signal and she was wise to use the element of surprise to try and overcome a stronger foe. As he landed, Azula punched with both her small fists to shoot a stream of fire at him. Ozai could not dodge so he stood his ground and brought his hands together, pointed them in the direction of the flame, stretching his arms forward and having his body follow the motion. The flames parted like water to the sides and Ozai leapt through the last of Azula's burst, a flaming fist ready to strike down on her, only to find her gone. He added another mental note as he glanced around to find her absent from the courtyard. He had never said she _couldn't_ leave it. Zuko continued his stretches by the sidelines, bending over to get to his ankles. As soon as he bend down, whips of fire lashed from behind him toward Ozai's chest and another one for his feet. Ozai responded by picking his feet of the ground while simultaneously diving his head down, making himself a small ball that evaded both whips. As he put his feet down to stabilize himself, He found Azula speeding toward him, propelled by fire she shot from her fists. Before he knew it she ground to a halt before him and all the fire that was previously behind her lashed forward to strike him. He would teach her a lesson about using so much fire. With a flowing motion the fire parted again and followed his movements, taking her weapon from her and have it engulf his fist. With his right hand wreathed in flames, he punched the ground and the low explosion of fire upset her balance. She stumbled, he pounced, and she found herself with a fist inches from her face.

That was the end of the match, but something was wrong. Her eyes were wide, not with surprise as they usually were when someone beat her at sparring, but fear. She killed the emotion quickly, and allowed her father to help her to her feet.

He bowed to her and she bowed back, one worthy adversary to another, and then turned to Zuko.

"So, Zuko, have you noted our errors?" He asked his son, who was quick to reply.

"I have. Though I don't know if they're really 'errors' but, well-" Ozai cut him off with a raised hand.

"As long as you've noted them, so you won't make them during our spar. Come."

Zuko stepped forward and took his position across from Ozai. Azula slid to the side to observe as Zuko had done. The two stood across from each other and Ozai sized up is son. He knew Zuko's talents were mediocre at best. He could hardly produce a flame unless thoroughly infuriated and did not have the cunning Azula was born with. He wouldn't have to fear for a surprise opening from Zuko.

As they took their stances Ozai waited. And waited. And then some. Zuko would not move an inch. Several times it looked as if though he would, only to catch himself at the last possible moment. After ten minutes of waiting, Ozai send a fireball toward him. Zuko caught it with both hands, moved it to his right, spun a circle on the momentum of the ball and threw it back at Ozai, fueled by his own fire and heading for Ozai's feet. Ozai scoffed and sidestepped the ball only to see it broaden before his eyes, fanning out to the left and right. This time Ozai had to jump straight up to avoid it and was almost hit in the face by a flying kick Zuko had sprang in his moment of distraction. Ozai crossed his arms before him to block the kick and succeeded, sending them both to the ground. As soon as Ozai landed Zuko send another wave of fire at his feet, causing him to dodge again. The waves were thin, but they still burned. He could part fire with this hands just fine, but his feet were not so gifted. Ozai commended Zuko's choice of strategy. Keeping him running and unbalanced would leave him unable to counterattack. It didn't matter that Zuko's flames ware small and needed Ozai's flames as fuel to be anything near presentable, in this situation size mattered for little. With luck, this strategy would create an opening for Zuko to deliver a 'fatal blow.'

Zuko had never been lucky.

There was one problem with this strategy, and it became apparent as Zuko started breathing heavier. It required a lot of energy. And Ozai had fare more. Soon, Zuko's blows were becoming more sloppy and Ozai could move in. The first blast of fire that Ozai launched at Zuko had been expertly redirected, so this time Ozai moved in close and defused Zuko's flames as the boy shot them and quickly broke through the boy's defense, holding his flaming fist to Zuko's left eye. The boy flinched slightly, but instead of retreating he nodded his head and stepped back, bowing to this father. Ozai bowed back and looked at the sky.

The sparring had turned the afternoon into early evening, and he decided they were done for the day.

"Go freshen up for dinner." He ordered his children. "We'll discuss the spars afterwards."

((*))

"Azula!"

Azula turned at the sound of her name. Zuko, sweaty and stinky from practice, walked up to her, his steps echoing on the wooden floor of the hallway. He chewed his lip for a moment before confiding with her.

"I think you should spend some more time with mom." He said, tentatively.

She quirked a delicate eyebrow. "Why? So you can have some quality time with father?" Which would have been a perfectly logical reason _before_, but now seemed a bit… petty.

Zuko shook his head. "No. Well yes, but that's not the point." He sighed looking for the right words. "Over the last few weeks, father has been giving me more attention than ever. It's made me really happy, and perhaps spending time with mom with will make you happy? I'm just trying to help you, honestly." Her eyebrow had climbed ever higher during his explanation.

"So you're saying," She began with a slightly suspicious tone. "that because the positive reinforcement from _both _our parents, rather than just one, made _you_ happy it should have a similar effect on me?"

The look he gave her was drier and flatter than the plateau that Ba Sing Se rested on. "You really have to get out more, you know?" He said. At her indignant spluttering he added "But yes, that's the gist of it. It worked for me, it should work for you." He finished with a grin.

She scoffed. "That's demented Zuko. I'm not a needy wuss like you." She turned away, walking on to her room. "But I suppose it won't hurt to prove that."

((*))

Dinner had been a quaint affair, the only sound being the soft conversing of herself and Ozai and the bickering of Azula and Zuko over who had done better sparring. She had no idea who had, as she had been collecting nuts with some of the servants for the soup the family had for dinner, and Ozai kept his peace, indulging neither.

Now the four of them were strolling on the beach. They wouldn't swim but they could enjoy the view of the setting sun.

Azula was walking next to her while ahead walked Zuko and Ozai. The girl had a strangely contemplating look on her face, and Ursa decided to call her on it.

"Something on your mind, dear?"

Azula startled a bit, seeming to just realize she wasn't alone. For a moment she looked like she was just going to brush of the question but then she sighed.

"It's just weird mom." She looked onward to the two males walking ahead of them. "Less than two week ago, we were _just_ a branch of the royal family, Zuko was a sissy that hated me because I'm better than him, father loved me and you thought I was a monster." She looked at her feet. "At least that last bit hasn't changed."

Ursa was shocked by the revelation. Did Azula really think that? If so, it was high time she intervened. She called over to Zuko and Ozai "Go on ahead boys! I need to have a talk with Azula."

Both Zuko and Ozai turned. Zuko blinked, uncomprehending, and Ozai nodded, placing his hand on the boys shoulder en telling him to walk on with a soft word.

After they had left, Ursa sat down in the sand en beckoned her daughter to sit with beside her. She did, with some reluctance.

"First off, you are _not _a monster, least of all in my eyes." She said with conviction, looking her daughter square in the eyes. "Of course, I don't approve of all the things you do. Shooting birds, wrestling with hyena sharks, tormenting your brother, I don't approve of them. _That doesn't mean I think you're a monster."_ She finished placing a hand on Azula's shoulder. Such small shoulders…

Azula sniffed. "Then why don't you have ever spend time with me?" She yelled, near tears. "You're always with Zuko, never with me, you don't even talk to me unless your scolding me!_ It's not fair!" _Tears were rolling down her cheeks in earnest now, and Ursa realized just how wrong she had been.

"I always thought," she began, heart aching. "That you simply liked spending time with your father better. I thought you were happy like that." Fool she was. A child wanted its parents love, from _both _parents. Had Zuko not shown her that? "But I love you dear, and I'm sorry that I made you think otherwise. Zuko and Ozai love you as well." She drew her daughter toward her, holding her close and letting her release all her hurt into her shoulder, soaking it.

"But," the little girl sobbed. "Zuko's always been angry at me for being lucky. He hates me for it. And father, he- he- he wanted to kill me!" She yelled up at her mother, her face a mess of tears and grief.

"No!" Ursa responded, slashing her hand through the air in finality. "Zuko doesn't hate you. He's jealous of you, of but that is all. He's told it to me a hundred times over. 'Azula's so much smarter than me!', 'She picked up a move that took me months in a week!', 'Father loves her more than me!' But when I ask him whether or not he's mad at you he always says: 'Of course not! She's my sister, and I'm happy for her. But she doesn't have to rub it in my face.'" Ursa regarded her daughter, eyes gentle, but firm. "He loves you, Azula. So much that he'd give his life for you, so much that he _did_ sacrifice half his face for you."

Azula stared up at her, eyes wide and teary, before looking down and chewing her lip. "But, father-"

"Loves you too!" Ursa cut her off. "He won't hurt you, Azula. He swore, on his honor, that he would not." And Ozai's honor was perhaps the only thing more important to him than his family and country. She'd learn to love that dedication about him, in time.

Azula was still chewing her lip, when her soft reply reached Ursa's ears. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She hopped out of her mother lap and grinned shakily at Ursa. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer."

With a soft smile Ursa rose to her feet as well and held out her hand to her daughter. Azula muttered that she wasn't a baby but took it none the less.

When they caught up with the boys they too were sitting in the sand, watching Agni disappear from the sky slowly. They stood up at their approach. Ursa saw Ozai gaze shift to the wet patch on her shoulder and then to Azula's puffy eyes and red cheeks. He inquired in his deep voice.

"Is everything alright?"

Ursa let go of Azula's hand and the girl walked over to Zuko who was grinning smugly at her. She muttered something along the lines of 'Okay, you were right. Now get that look of your face.' She was smiling, despite her words.

"Yes." Ursa answered. "I think it just might be."

((*))

A/N: another chapter for you. I'll try to get another one up in the next few days. No promises.

Azula has taken about ten steps away from her canon-insanity by just letting it out! Woohoo! For the record, the scene on the ship was NOT random strangeness. I wanted to show that despite all, this family has some serious moral issues. They are _not quite sane_. Ursa is probably the sanest of the bunch.

Do not make her mistake in thinking all is healed now. They are _healing,_ but not healed. Not yet.

For those people wondering, why toko as a pairing and not just maiko? Politics, personal preference, and function are your answers. The first two are obvious, the last less so. By function I mean how this pairing would work in this fiction. Frankly, Zuko won't be the Zuko that Mai would fall for. He won't hate the world, for one thing (don't worry, I'm way too fond of Zuko to mess with his character… much).

As for the combat scene, be gentle with me. It was my first. I tried to make Azula and Zuko _different_ rather than making Azula just plain stronger. Hope it worked.

Ps: next chapter will most likely have Iroh in it.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: On with the ride ladies and gentleman! This chapter offers a hint to some of the background to the world of this particular Avatarverse, which I intend to be slightly more elaborate than the canon version.

To a very kind guest that reviewed: I'll look into Lightning Warms. Might help me write Azula better. :D Welcome aboard!

I broke the 20 reviews! Happy day!

((*))

It quickly became routine. He and Azula would spar with Ozai every other afternoon while Ursa taught them culture and arts in the morning and evening. They learned of poetry, of painting, of calligraphy and of literature, but she also taught them how to write a politically correct letter. Those were no doubt Azula's favorites, Zuko had decided. On the other days they would go into the hills for a 'picnic' and Ozai would drill them in history, military ethics, political science, logistics and science of nature. His mother was glad to help with the last one.

Today was such a day. An easy two weeks into their stay on Ember Island and Ursa was just finishing her lessons about flora and fauna on Ember Island. Zuko wasn't really paying attention this time, preoccupied with watching clouds and enjoying the breeze that ruffled the grass around them. He decided to zone in on the conversation that Azula was having with their mother, lest he get scolded. Again. What was it about again?

"… so you see, without those 'gross mantis serpents' nibbling at the roots of these plants they would strangle the roots of other plants and this beautiful island would quickly become a barren wasteland. Do you understand how important they are now, Azula?" Ah yes, that was it. Ursa quirked an imperious brow at his daughter who pouted in reply. "They're still gross." She muttered.

Ozai was the one to reply. "True, they are unsightly, but important none the less. Besides, they are of great cultural value." He added offhandedly.

Zuko's lone brow rose at this. "How does that work? They look like regular bugs to me."

His father smiled a cunning smile, and Zuko knew he had walked straight into another one of Ozai's lessons. "Ah, but did you know these bugs played a key role in the development of one of our most powerful firebending styles?"

Azula and Zuko spluttered together. "Firebending comes from dragons, not bugs!" He exclaimed while Azula objected that "There is only one style of firebending, the Caldera style!"

To the side Ursa giggled behind her hand and Ozai smiled again, indulgently this time. "You are both right, and wrong. Firebending comes from the dragons, that's true, but the _motions_ of firebending came from various sources. And yes, there is one style of firebending _in_ _our military_. That is the Caldera style. But there is more to it than that." His father glanced at both of them, making sure that he had their attention before continuing.

"The Caldera style originated in the Western part of the Fire Nation, where the mountains are high in the fires roar day and night. The other _hoho_, called the Coast style, originated on the eastern Islands. As did this particular species of Mantis serpent." Ozai added with pointed glance at where one of the little creatures was settled on their picnic blanket, trying to reach the food they had brought.

The prince reached down to poke the bug, only for it to grab his finger and redirect it away from its body. Ozai tried again, and again his finger was redirected and thrown away, dragging Ozai's hand along for the short flight. Ozai withdrew his hand and then lowered it again to the small monstrosity. "When threatened, the mantis serpent will latch onto threat and throw it of balance, using the attackers momentum to its own advantage."

Zuko's eye widened in realization as he watched the those little legs and claws handle his father's finger. This was kind of like…

Ozai nodded at him, still teasing the insect. "Yes, it's similar to the way you firebend. I am not versed in the style, but Iroh is. He can teach you to master it when he gets here." The messenger hawk that had arrived two days before clearly stated that things had gone well in the Earth Kingdom and Iroh was coming home. He'd drop by them for a few days first, though. Zuko could hardly wait to see his uncle again, but was also apprehensive. How much would Iroh have changed after Lu Ten's death?

"He should be here in a week's time. We'll focus on the basics of firebending in general until then." His father finished.

Azula raised her hand, politely. "How come we don't see this 'Coast style' anymore? It sounds effective."

Zuko silently agreed with her. He'd been immersed in firebending all his life, yet he had never heard of this 'powerful style'.

Ozai stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That would be due to the Act of Retribution, in 23 BSC. The eastern part of the Fire Nation was hit hardest by it, decimating this _hoho_. Over time, it was completely replaced by the Caldera style and forgotten." He smirked slightly. "That is until your uncle decided to look into the records that survived the Act, and set out to revive it. If I recall, Fire Lady Ilah had eastern blood in her. Perhaps that is where he got his inspiration from." He turned to Ursa. "Now that I think about it, your grandmother was from one of the most eastern Islands, correct?"

His mother nodded in reply, smiling slightly. "Yes, Ta Min was born on the Island that now houses Roku's temple. She grew up in the Caldera, but moved back there after she married."

Ozai nodded. "There you have it. Eastern blood from both sides. No wonder that you have a knack for the Coast style then."

Zuko was thoroughly confused for a multitude of reasons but Azula beat him to it, raising her hand again. Ozai nodded for her to speak. "What's this 'Act of Retribution'?" She asked timidly, sounding as confused as he was feeling. Ozai blinked at them, seeming quite perplexed himself. "What in Agni's name have your tutors been _doing_ Azula?" He asked with a bewildered expression on his face.

Azula seemed reluctant to answer, but did so anyway. "Teaching history, I think? They didn't really go into the period _before_ Sozin's Comet yet."

Ozai made a thoughtful sound and turned to Zuko. "Whenever I was looking for you, the servants often told me that you could usually be found in the library, pouring over old history scrolls. You know nothing of this either?" Zuko shook his head. "What about the 'Storm Wars'?" Ozai continued. This, Zuko did know of.

"The wars between the Fire Nation freeholds and the Air Nomad tribes of the South and West respectively. There have been three of those, _if_ you exclude the Air Nomad genocide at the start of the War." He recited from one of his scrolls. "Otherwise, it's four."

Ozai nodded, pleased. "anything else?" Zuko shook his head in negation. He had been getting to that just before they left the Caldera. Though the scrolls had been taken along, he simply hadn't gotten around to reading them.

"It's as good a start as any." Ozai mused than addressed both his children. "You see, the Fire Nation and the Air Nomads have always had disputes over these Islands. They are lush, but only give their fruit to those who know how to pluck it. Cut the forests down though, and you are left with endless meadows and fields." The man explained, and Zuko memorized every word.

"Sky bison, or so the records tell us at least, needed to consume huge amount of vegetation on a daily basis in order to survive. Our Islands, with their potential for endless grass supplies, were a prime target for Air Nomad tribes." He stroked his beard again, gazing thoughtfully of into the middle distance. "The later wars were more about ethics than they were about fertile land, but land has always played a part."

It was Zuko who posed a question this time. "What do you mean by 'ethics?'" He glanced at Azula and found that she was likewise bemused by this torrent of information.

Ozai glanced at the sky and so did his children. _Late noon_, Zuko mused. It was a fairly long track back. They'd be leaving for the house soon enough and would arrive just after sundown for a small dinner. Then, it would off to bed.

"Let us say…" Ozai started, still gazing at the sky. "That we had differing views about what could pass for 'necessary evil.'" A shrill cy echoed through the air and a messenger hawk landed next to Ozai, a message attached to it.

"How does that thing keep finding us?" Azula asked with a scowl. Ursa's answer was accompanied by a shrug.

"She's trained to recognize Ozai. What does it say, dear?"

As Ozai's eyes traveled over the lines, he sighed heavily and rose to his feet. "Class dismissed. It seems Iroh has found a very fast ship. He'll be here tomorrow."

((*))

Zuko couldn't sleep. He was sitting on his bed, watching the breeze play with the curtains and the moonlight play with the shadows. His head was abuzz with so many things. He digested the information he learned this afternoon –_Iroh was coming_- He'd have to go and dig through the scrolls they'd brought along to find more on the subject of the Storm Wars – _Iroh was coming_- perhaps he'd get Azula to read them too, she could use the info-

_Iroh was coming._

"Can't sleep either huh?"

Zuko turned his head towards his doorway. His sister was leaning against the frame, arms crossed. She, like him, was wearing an airy white sleeping robe and her hair was down. Somehow, seeing Azula with her hair down always made her seem younger. More innocent.

Hadn't she asked him a question? "No." He answered, shaking his head. "My head's completely messed."

The girl rolled her eyes and strode over to his bed, sitting down on it. "What else is new?" She asked him snidely.

Zuko didn't miss a beat. "You, coming to see me in the middle of the night. What's the matter?"

Azula muttered something about 'stupid wise-ass brothers' before answering. "Same as you, I guess. Too much to think about." She sighed. "I mean, the famous 'Dragon of the West' is arriving in a few hours and his probably pissed at our father. And perhaps us, too. It's kind of… scary." She finished softly.

"He won't hurt us." Zuko assured her. "He's not like that." At least, he hadn't been like that before he went to war. Who knew what their uncle was like now?

Both children were silent for a moment, until Zuko posed another question.

"Why's he called 'the Dragon of the West' anyway? I never got that."

Azula shrugged absently in reply. "In his youth, Uncle slew the last dragon. Slaying a dragon earns you the right to carry the title. It's pretty simple."

Zuko's face scrunched up in distaste. "Yeah, good going. Who's bright idea was it to start killing dragons anyway? How do they even know that the one uncle slew was the last one?"

Azula nodded at her brothers remark. This theory was old as dirt by now. "I get what you mean. The walls of Ba Sing Se wouldn't be a problem with dragons on our side. The tradition of dragon slaying was started under Fire Lord Sozin, continued by Azulon."

"As for how they know, they don't. There simply haven't been any signs of dragons for years." She shrugged again. "Though that doesn't really mean anything. There could be lots out there."

Zuko grinned sheepishly at her. "You're such a nerd. I didn't mean it like that. I mean, why would you want to wipe out something as cool as dragons?" He remarked and promptly dodged Azula's small fist.

"You're such a softy, Zu-Zu. And like you have any right to call me a nerd, mister 'found in library.'" She smirked at his mortified face.

"That was once!" He yelled at her.

Azula moch-cowered from the sound. "Oh Zuko, not so loud. You're scaring me."

The boy scoffed. "Oh stop being cute. We both now you're not scared."

Azula's acting was particularly superb that night. "Oh, Zu-Zu, you think I'm cute? That's so sweet! But we really can't, father would never arpove." And she said all this blushing like a fair maiden from a story.

Her face became more victorious than anything when he started spluttering incoherently, head flushed red.

She giggled. "Oh Zu-Zu, you're riled so easily."

His response was to poke her in the side, causing her to jump with a small squeak. Zuko smirked. "Now who's the one riled?"

"Oh, it is _so_ on." She declared, and pounced.

((*))

The sunlight hit Azula's eyelids through the curtain and she groaned. She'd been having a good dream for the first time since _ever._ She'd been riding a blue dragon, soaring through the air towards walls mind bogglingly high. Beside her, a red dragon had flown. On its back had been a boy.

Azula turned her eye away from the offending light, rolling over. Her limbs protested the motion, being entangled in sheets and other limbs, but she persevered and settled back to sleep again.

The breath she felt on her face made her eyes snap wide open.

Zu-Zu was sleeping soundly across from her, so close she could tell individual eyelash hairs apart with precision. Their limbs were entangled from the poking fest they had last night. They'd fallen asleep giggling, breathless and exhausted. Azula knew there was only one proper response a little sister could have for this kind of situation. She untangled her arm from his, stuck her index finger into her mouth, let it soak, pulled it out, and plunged it straight into Zuko's ear.

His girly squeal was music to her ears.

"Morning sleepyhead!" She announced, grinning innocently at him. By contrast, the dark look Zuko send her promised revenge in the near future.

"Morning." He grumbled back at her.

I was then that they heard fire roaring and people yelling. She was out of bed in second, Zuko following close behind her. The sounds were coming from the courtyard. As they burst in, it took Azula a moment to comprehend what she was seeing. Her father had been thrown into the edge of the wooden walkway surrounding the yard, the floorboards having shattered under the weight of the impact. Pinning him down with his legs was a short man, set like a bull. He held the collar of Ozai's robes with his left hand and held lightning to downed man's face with his right.

"Dad!" Zuko exclaimed, shocked.

Both men turned their head at breakneck speed and Iroh's eyes widened when they landed on Zuko's scar.

((*))

_Couldn't the blasted man announce his arrival like a proper noble?_ Ozai wondered.

He had awoken early to get into his formal robes and await his brother's return patiently, but when he had opened the courtyard's sliding door to get some fresh morning air, he'd frozen in the motion.

"Hello, brother." Iroh's stance was set to kill, every muscle posed to pounce at a moment's notice.

Ozai swallowed, but refused to be intimidated. "Hello, Iroh. I didn't expect you to be here so early. Favorable weather?"

Iroh nodded. "Yes." He answered shortly. The man looked worse for wear. The bags under his eyes spoke of short nights for the last month, and the grey hairs at his temples hadn't been there when he had left for war. No more than that dark, cold look in his eyes. "Would you join me for a morning spar, brother?"

Ozai scoffed. Stepping out and turning to close the sliding door. "I am not dressed for such activities-"

Turning away had been his first mistake. He barely dodged the first fireball that came for his head, jumping to the side and into courtyard. Freezing up had been his second. Fighting down the feeling of terror and telling his body to _move_, he shot his own fire back at Iroh. The motion was stiff from the morning and adrenaline, and Iroh easily dodged.

Before Ozai could get back in control of the situation, Iroh tackled him, taking them both to the ground. Ozai slammed into the planks of the walkway surrounding the courtyard, hard, and planks shattered beneath him. The blow left him dazed, but his senses came back to him as a firm hand grabbed his collar and a lightning bolt Ozai had never seen Iroh charge was held to his face.

"Now that I have your full attention, brother, you will tell me why you orchestrated my son's death." Iroh spat at him, hatred and anger dripping from every word.

Ozai's eyes widened and his mind ground to a halt. How-?

"Dad!" a yell from the side and both men turned their heads.

There were his children, messy from sleep and confused. Iroh's eyes widened as he took in Zuko's scar, and that was all the distraction Ursa needed to leap from the shadows and hold the point of a katana to Iroh's throat.

"Let my husband go, Iroh." She demanded, fury and fear mixing in her voice. And hurt, Ozai could hear it. So much hurt. He supposed that was only to be expected. Ursa and Iroh had always been close.

Iroh regarded her coolly. "This man has slain my son, Ursa. Do not interfere!"

"Impossible!" Ursa declared, voice heated. "Ozai was by my side everyday! How can you kill someone halfway around the world?"

Ozai took the offered distraction and blasted Iroh of him with fire and rose to his feet. His back ached terribly, his topknot was all but destroyed and his robe was wrinkled where Iroh had grabbed it, but all that made not matter. Iroh stopped skidding half the yard away, completely undamaged and unfazed.

"Ursa," Ozai rasped, voice weak and rasping from his tumble. "Take the children to the beach and keep them safe. I need to have a talk with my brother. _Alone._" When she looked like she was about to protest he cut her off. _"go!"_

She bit her lip and nodded, moving over to the children and taking them away from there. His eyes never left Iroh's, though he had to brush a few bangs from his face to look at him clearly.

When his family had gone, he addressed his brother.

"Explain yourself."

Iroh's rage seemed to increase tenfold. "Don't you dare play ignorant with me, boy! You know what this is about! You orchestrated my son's death!" He shouted at Ozai, and the younger saw him visibly restrain himself from lighting him on fire.

"I did no such thing." Ozai protested. "I don't understand what you're talking about. So _explain yourself!"_

Iroh's rage was still visible, but it was more like smoldering coal now, rather than the raging inferno it had been moments before. Ozai wagered that he was no less dangerous.

"There were hundreds of better places to attack." Iroh started. "The battlefield was large, and my son's squad was a dime in a dozen. Yet, the Earth Kings forces focused their attack in that area. There was not strategic gain but they did so anyway and-" Iroh bit off his sentence there, voice hitching and eyes teary. Ozai understood.

_And they killed Lu Ten._

"Continue." He coaxed the grieving man before him with a soft voice.

Iroh's face hardened. "I captured the general in charge and got answers out of him." _You tortured him_, Ozai thought. He'd never thought his brother capable of such things. Iroh had always been gentle. _Like Zuko._ But Ozai could not find that brother in the eyes of this broken soldier.

"He told me that they had received word that a member of the Fire Nation's royal family was stationed in the assault squads, and from there they had observed and narrowed it down to Lu Ten's squad. Then, they went in for the kill."

Iroh's expression darkened further. "I tracked the correspondence down for weeks, trying to find the source while I let my army manage the defense and order of the colonies."

Iroh took a step forward. "I tracked it all the way back to the caldera. I could not believe one of our own would betray the royal family like that, but the letters I found made it perfectly clear. Eventually, I came upon a letter that identified the source. Apparently, a member of the royal family had relayed this information to a messenger who was to make contact with the Earth Kings army."

Iroh took another step. "The letter did not specify who, though." Another step. Ozai stood his ground, despite the dread he was feeling. "And then, I receive a hawk with a message from father. He informed me, that my little brother attempted to take my birthright." Iroh stopped right before Ozai, looking up at his brother's face. "That narrows down the list of suspects considerably, doesn't it, Ozai?"

Ozai couldn't help it. It was just too much. He laughed.

Iroh was clearly torn between running from the madman, or beating him to death. "You think this is funny, brat?"

Ozai stifled his laughter. "No, quite the opposite." He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Brother, have your wits left you? Did they die with your son?" He inquired.

"You deny what you have done?" Iroh's voice was dangerously low and sparks flew around clenching fists, but his eyes showed a world of hurt. "Who then, brother? Azula? Zuko? I didn't hear of _them _trying to seize the throne-"

"I was trying to serve our nation!" Ozai roared at his brother, hair whipping around his face with the yell. He brushed it back absently.

Iroh scoffed. "And what would _you_ know of serving our nation?"

"More than you!" Ozai replied with heat. "Did you forget, brother? I was minister of propaganda and intelligence long before you tried to take Ba Sing Se. Managing our spy and sabotage network was my _job, _until father _banished_ me from the Caldera." He hadn't told anyone about that, though he was sure Ursa knew. She always knew.

"My position was revoked on the same day I was disowned, but I know my craft, Iroh. Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep public opinion of you positive, with all the foolish things you did? Of course, you fought battle and gave us great victories, but you'd always fight for a week and whore for three! As did your son! I know what the Earth Kingdom wenches call you. 'Dragon of the West', for sure, but they refer to the dragon between your thighs!"

Ozai started pacing around Iroh, continuing. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep the Earth Generals of your back during your whoring days? Forged messages, spies placing falls trails, the wrong maps reaching the wrong divisions, traps, it was all in a day's work! Else you _and _Lu Ten would have been crushed by the Earth army while laying in some woman's bed."Ozai finished his rant and turned to question his sibling.

"Did you think your foe incompetent? They were not, though our sabotage may have given you that impression. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Dai Li? They protect the cultural heritage of the city you tried to take. They're also an old hand at espionage and mind games. Did you read up on them, or did you jump in thinking we'd all catch you if things didn't work out? Agni knows we tried."

Iroh listened, silent as the grave. Give credit where it is due, even grieving and half mad, Iroh would _always _give men a fair hearing.

"They _forged_ that correspondence to turn you against your own! We're the royal family, the heart of their enemy! Taking the heir down, wait for the lord to be taken by time and have everything in between at each other's throats? Tactical masterstroke. From a professional's point of view, I must applaud them. I would, had it not cost me my _nephew_." Reminding Iroh that Lu Ten had been _his_ family as well couldn't hurt, Ozai reasoned.

Iroh inhaled deeply through the nose and thought. At length he answered Ozai.

"Bold claims of noble deeds, brother-"

"Make enquiries. Go down into the archieves. It's all there."

"-but it doesn't prove anything! Where is your prove of this 'forged trail?' I found none!"

"_You're alive aren't you?"_

That stopped Iroh dead in his tracks. Ozai blustered on, keeping momentum.

"If I am such a monster that I would kill my own family for power, why didn't I make life easier on the Earth Generals? Why didn't they get the proper maps? Why place the false army trails to get them of your back? Why the traps? Why didn't I just _let them get you?"_

Iroh was silent, sighed, and all the fight drained from him. He gripped the bridge of his nose.

"…Ozai, forgive me. I did you a grave injustice. It's just, my poor Lu Ten…" His voice broke at the end, and Ozai enveloped the man in a hug.

"Pay for the broken floor, and we're even, _brother."_ Iroh laughed and cried at the same time, hugging his brother back.

((*))

As they broke apart, Iroh saw his little brother as man for the first time. Ozai had never been the understanding type, but he was changing. He was trying.

"I've got just the thing to take your mind of all this." Ozai was saying. Iroh listened attentively. Anything to take his thoughts of Lu- He cut it off there, not daring to think.

"Zuko has taken to the Coast style like a turtle duck to water, but I cannot help him master it. You can."

Iroh stroked his beard. "I'd be happy to teach him, but I'll be busy in the Caldera for a while yet." He needed to teach an old man that it was wrong to order a child's death for something her father had done, for one thing. "But the captain of my ship is versed in the style as well. I taught him myself, and he's more than ready to take on a pupil of his own."

Ozai nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. He started for the sliding door, beckoning Iroh to follow. "Do I know this man?" He asked.

"You've met him several times. His name is Zhao." A talented man at the Caldera style, a dragon at the Coast style. And a good student, once his destructive tendencies had been dealt with. "He's as good a man as any to have beside you when you face the greatest walls ever built." And Zhao had been devastated by his son's demise as well. The boy had been under his command for years. His failure to save him cut him almost as deep as it had Iroh.

Ozai smiled. "Ah yes, I remember him." They walked out onto the path leading to the beach. He could see his family in the distance. His niece was pacing, his nephew was sitting on the ground, flaying his arms and his sister-in-law was being calmed by well-built man in his thirties. Good. Zhao and Zuko had already met, clearly.

Ozai strode. "Best let them know that I am still alive."

Iroh grinned sheepishly. "Yes. Let's do that."

((*))

_Hoho_: way, method, technique, manner. As Agni Kai uses the Japanese word for 'meeting', I figured that the way you meet (firebending) should have its own word to. Don't worry, this is probably the last time I'm throwing a random foreign word around.

Sorry for the wait readers! This chapter was the finishing chapter of this arc, and so, is a little longer. The stage is almost set. Next two/three chapters (probably two) will have Zuko be 13 and they will set the final plot changes before canon starts. THEN I'm going to bash heads together. *Insert a grinning great white shark. Yup. That's me.*

Hope to break the thirty review mark with this, at least. If you've read this, kindly review. I'd love to know your thoughts.

To the guy who asked if Iroh would remarry: Good idea. It won't be for a long while, but wheels are turning. Thanks for the idea.

Last but not least, I've changed the rating to make this story more accessible.

Next chapter should be up in a few days.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Onwards comrades! Onwards!

((*))

Zuko caught the fireball thrown at him on his dao. The fire coated the swords and he swung, throwing the flames back at one of the two men facing him. Said man caught the flames with ill grace and stumbled. Zuko had a sword at his throat before he recovered. The man bowed out and stood to the side.

Zuko leaped away from the fire his last opponent shot, trying to catch him off guard. His foe jumped the other way to put distance between them and from there he launched a barrage of fire the prince's way. The boy replied by going low and running forward, dodging fire and bending it awry with his dao swords in equal measures. He closed in at a rapid pace.

_It was good to have master Piando teach him the way of the sword. _Zhao mused, sitting off to the side, sipping some ginseng tea and watching his young ward break through his opponent's defense with a well timed fire blast and placed a sword at his throat. He turned to his first mate.

"Pay up. He passed." Jee grumbled, but handed him ten silver coins none the less.

Pocketing the money, Zhao got to his feet and applauded. The crew joined in, all whistling and cheering. "Defeating ten seasoned firebenders without getting hit and using three or less blasts of fire produced by your own royal rear. Good job, you are officially a Coast style master."

When Zhao had met the boy two years ago, he had been skeptical he'd ever see the day. _"He needs a teacher to help him master the Coast style, but I cannot be that teacher. It's up to you."_ Iroh had told him.

And promptly dumped the shy and ill tempered boy on him. Now, that same shy boy was bowing exaggeratedly to the applause, grinning with glee. And why shouldn't he? Zuko may have a temper that put a komodo rhino to shame and was about as polite vulture wasp, but there was nothing amiss with his work ethic. He'd earned this, and more.

The boy's fallen foes lined up before him and bowed, vanquished to victor. Zuko bowed back, one worthy foe to another. Then he strode over to where Zhao was standing and bowed to him, apprentice to the master. In a moment, it would be master to master.

Zhao nodded. "I have nothing left to teach you, prince Zuko. Use what you have learned with wisdom." He bowed back. When they rose, the lad jumped him, engulfing him in a hug and cheering loudly. The crew laughed and cheered along.

Zhao rolled his eyes. He'd known the boy for a long time, the crew for only a few weeks, but he had a way of growing on people. The best thing about it was that Zuko was mostly oblivious to that fact.

When he got Zuko to let him go, the lad was immediately swarmed by the crew. They congratulated him, ruffled his hair, offered to take him drinking in the next port (unless it was for tea, Zhao knew he would decline. Zuko liked to keep his wits about him) and some of the women even offered to 'share a cabin' with him, only half in jest.

"That's it!" Zhao barked, grabbing Zuko by the wrist. "The petting zoo is over! I'm taking it back to the pet shop!"

The crew moaned in displeasure, and the boy grinned apologetically at them as he was dragged off to the bow of the ship. Once there, Zhao let go of his wrist and turned to the prince.

"You remember your role?" Zhao asked the boy, all business. They'd be arriving in the southern Earth Kingdom 3 days. He needed to be sure. They could afford no errors.

The scarred prince rolled his eyes. "Yes, uncle Zhao. As soon as we hit land I'll be 'private Lee', your personal slave." "Assistant!" Zhao barked, but Zuko waved him off. "Same thing with you. I'll accompany you on your daring quest to win the favor of the merchants of the southern Earth Kingdom, so_ I_ can get a feel about what the Earth Kingdom is like and _you_ can score some browny points with Azulon. Did I miss anything?"

Zhao sighed. "No, that sums it up."

"Does that mean I can go write home about my graduation?" The lad asked eagerly. Zhao waved him off.

"Get out of here, you."

With a whoop of joy, he did just that. Zhao sighed again, but smiled none the less, and turned to watch the horizon, where Agni was diving into the embrace of the ocean. _An ocean_, he thought, _that I will one day slay_. But now was not the time to dwell on such things, so he turned his thoughts back to his young ward.

Even though Zuko said 'home', the first letter he'd write would be to Azula and Iroh, who were traveling north to Pohuai Stronghold. Apparently, the young princess had a fascination for archery and was intent on learning from the best, the Yuyan. They'd stay there for two weeks, picking an instructor for Azula and getting the basics down, then they would travel south through the colonies.

The siblings had been nigh inseparable for as long as he'd known them. Dragging Zuko off to Shu Jing for his sword lessons had been one of the most tedious voyages he'd ever undertook, until he had showed the boy how to use the messenger hawks. Zuko had written his little sister almost every day, and she had written back every time.

((*))

Azula stifled a yawn, moving another piece across the board. This game was _boring._ Across the board, Iroh was silently contemplating her move.

"hmm… you have the mind of a fine general, Azula, but not the passion." He observed, placing down a tile.

Azula quirked a brow. "What does passion have to do with being a fine general? Either you have a good grasp of tactics, or you don't." She placed another tile.

"Ah." Iroh chuckled. "So young. Azula, men will not follow a cold hearted stranger. And even then they might follow you halfway across the world, but abandon you at the first signs of trouble stirring. But men who love you, who are loyal to you, those will fight beside you till the end."

"But they were born to follow us!" Azula protested. "Like we were born to rule and lead them!"

"Ah, but there is the trap." Iroh winked at her. "All men are equal on the battlefield. Birth, rank, ability, blood, it all matters little in the heed of battle. Comrades matter. A helping hand might safe your live, and a lowborn soldier may safe or break a nation." Iroh's expression was serious now. Azula fidgeted. "You have the mind of a fine general, but lack the passion. Men will not follow you if _you_ think they owe it to you. _They _must think they owe it to you. Do you understand?"

Azula was silent for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "I think I do."

"Reflect on it. Now, perhaps you ought to find your bed? We'll make port tomorrow morning. From there, it's a short trip to the stronghold."

"Yes, uncle." She stood and bowed to the crown prince. "Sleep well, your royal kookiness."

Iroh chuckled and nodded to her. "You as well, beloved niece, you as well."

Walking down the steel hallway toward her cabin, Azula could barely contain her excitement. She'd finally get to meet the archers she'd idolized since she was a little girl, and they'd be teaching her! It was a dream come true!

On top of that, Iroh was teaching her advanced Caldera style forms and had told her that if she kept this up he'd be teaching her de basics of lightning before the month was out. She could hardly wait. As she reached her cabin and started getting ready for bed, she wondered how Zu-Zu was doing. She knew he had his exam today, and she was probably the only one who knew just how nervous her brother had been until she wrote some sense into him.

As she hit the hay, she figured he'd write her as soon as he'd passed or failed. That would reach them in two days, when they were at the stronghold.

Not that she expected anything less than good news of her brother.

((*))

_Only then will you comprehend your brother's pain._

A fist of flame rushed at her face and she cried out.

Azula gasped awake, grasping at her face and rushing to the mirror attached to her cabin's wall. No burn. No scar. No betrayal.

_Of course not. _Azula scoffed. _Father would never do that. Haven't the last two years proven that?_ So why did her eyes feel this wet? Why did she feel so _scared?_

Knowing sleep would not come and Zuko wasn't there to talk to, she cleaned herself in the small bathroom attached to her cabin, got dressed and went up on deck, doing cold forms in the predawn.

((*))

It was like this that Iroh found her, running through advanced forms and moves with tears in her eyes. He watched for a while, admiring the skill of her motions and the delicacy of her being.

"Are you alright, Azula?" The question was simple. But with his family, the answer never was.

She dropped her motion and turned to him, face a mask. "I'm fine Uncle. How long till we reach land?"

"Three hours." Iroh answered, glancing at the horizon where Agni was turning the sky purple and pink. His eyes strayed back to his niece. His deadly, cunning, niece. His broken, hurting niece. "You can always talk to me if you need someone to listen, you know. I'm no substitute for your brother, I know, but it's not healthy to keep things bottled up like this." He eyed her kindly, a warm smile playing across his lips.

"I'm not bottling up anything." She answered far too quickly. Then sighed, obviously realizing her mistake. "I'll… I'll be fine, uncle. I can handle this."

Iroh nodded. He knew pushing her would only drive her away. All she needed to know was that he'd be there for her, if she needed it. "I trust your judgment, dear niece." And he bowed out, turning back to his cabin to fetch his morning tea. "As you were."

((*))

She watched his back till it disappeared from sight, then turned to the bow of the ship and walking over to the railing. The rays of the rising sun felt amazing and she felt Agni's power coursing through her veins. She didn't need help. She had power. She could handle a nightmare. The man who would never hurt her was several thousand kilometers away, there was nothing to fear.

In the back over head, a timid voice pointed out that the boy who would be _there_ for her was also far, far away. She crushed the thought. She didn't need him. She didn't _need_ him. She loved him, she respected him, but she was strong, strong enough to face her own demons. She _didn't need him_.

Azula sighed, turning her face up to the sky, watching a bird fly high up and absently thinking that it would look beautiful on fire.

((*))

"There it is, Azula." Mounted behind him on a komodo rhino, Azula had to look past his broad shoulders to see where he was pointing.

"So that's the stronghold…" She mused. She had to admit, she was impressed. The fortress walls were shaped like an octagon, had multiple rings and were made of solid steel. If Azula had to venture a guess, she'd say that the wall's their foundation ran deep. No Earth Kingdom army was tearing those apart. Last but not least, the land around the stronghold had obviously been liberated of trees, giving an open field for the famed Yuyan to pick of their targets at leisure. No wonder it had stood fast for a hundred years.

"Open the gate! The prince is here!" The guardsmen called up, and in seconds the first gate opened. As they entered, Azula looked around eagerly. Many recruits were training in the courtyard, but her eyes were only for the archers. Seeing one shoot an arrow through the bulls-eyes, hit the butt of it with a second arrow, and hitting _that _one with a third took her breath away. It also destroyed the target.

"Damn it Miki, that's the third one this week!" Shouted a short stocky man that came through the gate to the second ring. He marched up to the offending archer, who grinned sheepishly at his commanding officer.

"Ah, but isn't it Monday, sir?" He asked weakly. She had to strain to hear it. "Exactly! You are costing us a fortune, young man! You may be one of our most talented, but if you wreck one more target I'll take your bow and shove it up your-"

Iroh cleared his throat loudly. The short man rounded on them, ready to chew him out for interrupting, before he realized who exactly he'd be chewing out. "My lord! So good to see you! We were just having some… routine difficulties." He said, glaring at the yuyan next to him at the last bit. The young man grinned sheepishly at him and Azula giggled.

Iroh smiled at her and dismounted. Azula followed quickly, giving their komodo rhino over to one of the guards. Iroh walked up to the small man, clasped his hand firmly and addressed him. "Colonel commandant Shinu, so good to see you again. We are looking for a capable yuyan to instruct my niece in the bow. Who would you recommend?"

Shinu's eyes widened and landed on Azula, for whom he quickly bowed. "My lord, we were informed that this would be a routine check. Had we known the princess would be looking for a teacher…"

"You would've wasted half the week with archery tournaments and other such pomp. This should be faster." Iroh finished dryly. "Who do you recommend?"

Shinu was silent, mulling it over, when the young man spoke up again, voice soft but clear, soothing. "I could do it, sir." All heads snapped to him, but he just smiled, all confidence. "You said it yourself, I'm one of your most talented, I'm closest to her age among the yuyan, and I won't be destroying targets when I'm training pretty young women, now will I?"

"Impudent youngster!" Shinu snarled, but stopped when Iroh held up his hand.

"Impudence and presumption aside, the lad makes a good case. What is your name?" Iroh asked of the lad, eyes cool.

The lad bowed respectfully, wisely deciding not to push his luck. "My name is Mikihisa, my lord. It would be my honor teach the princess the way of the bow."

"It would be." Iroh agreed. "But you are talking to the wrong person. It is _Azula_ who decides who will teach her." The old man beckoned her over.

As she neared, she took in the features of her potential teacher. Classic brown and beige uniform, face paint included, but instead of the usual topknot his hair was tied at the back of his head with bangs framing his face. It had a dark brown hue, almost black. The boy was tall, standing an easy head and a half over Iroh and Shinu (she knew that that wasn't really an achievement, but to her it was still tall). As she came to a halt before him, she could take in the details of his face. She'd estimate him for years her senior, perhaps five. His skin was tanned, his cheekbones high and his eyes were lazy and laughing. They had a striking golden color, but the red face paint made them look fierce as a roaring flame.

She also noted the scars on his throat. It looked like it had been torn out and stitched back together a long time ago.

"Yes." She found herself saying. "He'll do."

Iroh smiled knowingly at her, eyes grinning mischievously. "Colonel Shinu, perhaps a private courtyard could be made available for the princess' lessons? The ruckus here drowns out the lads voice."

Shinu nodded. "Yes, of course. Follow me, please." As they fell in behind Shinu, Iroh slunk up to her and whispered to her "Go get em girl." Wiggling his eyebrows. She blushed beet red.

"It's not like _that_!" she squeaked.

Shinu and Mikihisa glanced back at her, Shinu looking at her oddly and Mikihisa raising and eyebrow at her, a lazy smile playing across his lips.

Azula scoffed. Her uncle might be capable of riling her, but these lowborn fools would _not._

"Something the matter, gentleman?" She asked, voice ice, her smile making the temperature drop several degrees.

"No, of course not princess." Shinu answered swiftly.

"Then _keep walking._"

((*))

As he dismounted his komodo rhino, Zuko noted one again that the Earth Kingdom was _very _different from home. The ground was brown and yellow, not black with ash as or sooth or red with rust as most of the earth at home was. As he landed, de soil did not crack beneath him or swoop up a dust bunny. It just made a dull sound, wet sound.

Even the air was wrong. dry. _Cold._ Not the humidity he'd known at home.

Shaking his head, he turned to the guards standing by the gate of the estate. They eyed him back, distrust pouring from their being. Zuko narrowed his eye at them. A hand fell on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "At ease, private Lee. There's nothing to worry about."

Zuko slowly exhaled and nodded. "Yes. Thank you… sir." And if that wasn't weird, Zuko didn't know weird.

They walked over to the gate, the four other men of their escort staying outside with the rhinos, and Zhao handed a scroll to the guards at the gate, stating that they had an appointment. Zuko's eyes traveled to the flying boar engraved on the gate, gleaming in the afternoon sun. _Beifong _he mused.

The richest and most influential merchants in the Earth Kingdom, perhaps the world. They, Iroh had told him once, were the key to conquering the southern Earth Kingdom. The southern Earth Kingdom was ruled not by the Earth King, but by the merchant families living there. The Earth Kingdom trade was dominated by these merchants. Their favor meant everything. Fortunately, none of the families truly viewed the Fire Nation as their enemy. They only saw potential customers.

And there, lay the problem. A merchant is free decide who he will sell to or not, and so, the merchants had resisted the Fire Nation conquest in the south every step of the way. Conquest was hard when your supplies were bought up by a higher bidder and shipped over to your enemy. Conquest was hard when, in the event that a town was taken, the main force would soon move on and leave a small force behind to keep order. It was hard, when these forces went missing within a week, never to be seen again.

And it was hardest, most of all, to know that they could do nothing to stop it. War or no war, trade was trade and destroying the merchant houses would give the Fire Nation an enormous economical backlash. Such had been the stalemate for a hundred years.

But now, there was hope. When the war had began, the merchant houses had been about equal in wealth and power, banding together against their common enemies: Fire Nation mercantilism and taxes. Now, however, the Beifongs were clearly the most powerful of the houses and the unofficial leaders. Get them, and they'd have them _all_.

As they were admitted to the gardens, Zuko turned to Zhao. "Remind me again, why are _you _the one treating with them? I thought captains lacked the authority to do that."

Zhao scoffed in reply. "For you information, private, I was promoted by prince Iroh to the rank of _commander_ for this assignment."

Zuko quirked his one brow. "Congratulations. You've earned it."

Zhao smile was slightly lopsided. "Don't congratulate me just yet. I only get to _keep_ the rank if I actually pull something of that no one's been able to do for a hundred years. What are the odds?"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Oh please. It's not like your being charged with something crazy like capturing the Avatar or something."

"Thank Agni for that small blessing! Can you imagine being charged with that?"

"No." Zuko replied as they were admitted to the main house, thinking of all the scrolls he'd read on avatars and their power. "And I don't think I _want_ to."

The Beifongs were seated on two throne like wooden chairs. The man, Lao Beifong nodded to them. Zhao bowed deeply before him and Zuko did the same.

"Honorable lord Beifong, I am commander Zhao. I've come to bargain for the loyalty of the southern Earth Kingdom merchants houses." He nodded to Zuko, who stood to his side. "This is my personal assistant, private Lee."

Zuko coughed _'slave'_ into his hand to which Zhao dryly remarked "Nasty cough you have there." Zuko nodded solemnly. "You should hear my mother. The poor thing has been going at it for weeks without fail."

A girl standing tot the side snickered at the scene, and he turned his eyes to her. The girl was _small_. He'd estimate her at seven, perhaps eight.

"My daughter, Toph." Lao clarified for them. "Forgive her rudeness, she's blind." He added with a sorrowful look. Zuko didn't quite know what to make of that. _Didn't know sight and manners were connected. That's it, Earth Kingdom people are weird_. The girl sighed lightly. "Okay, got it. I'll be on the grounds." She turned to leave but her mother stopped her. "Not without supervision, dear."

The little girl poked out her tongue and scowled. "It's just the grounds mom, I'll be fine without those wimpy guards."

"Lee," Zhao interrupted the argument. "Why don't you escort this girl till I'm done?"

Zuko nodded. And made to follow the girl, who was already striding out of the room. "Hey, wait up!" He called after her.

((*))

"Alright, you can get lost now." Toph told her new escort as soon as they were alone on the grounds. She had nothing personal against the kid, but she just wanted to be alone and practice bending in peace. She heard him snort.

"Yeah, and have Commander Zhao kill me for it? No. Thank. You." She heard the sound of leather sliding over leather, and guessed he was crossing his arms.

"Tough luck buddy." She grinned at him before disappearing into the earth and popping back up a hundred yards away, out of sight. She sighed in relief and started toying with a rock lying about, feeling the texture of it and testing how it responded to the commands of her bending.

Master Yu may be a crappy teacher, but he at least taught her good fundamentals. _Feel your element._ He had told her. _Earth is more than just rock and sand. It is the basalt on the bottom of the sea, the granite beneath our feet and the limestone in the mountains. All are different. All respond differently. Learn this, __before__ you bend it. _And then proceeded to bore her out of her skull with moving a pebble around.

She was snapped out of her musings when she felt someone sitting on the ground nearby. She knew that heartbeat.

"You!" She exclaimed, turning to face him, though it made no difference to her. "How did you find me?" She demanded, jabbing a finger at him.

"That bush looks properly terrified alright, I'll grant you, but I suppose that finger was meant for me. And do you have any idea how _loud _burrowing through the earth is? Or how easy it is to sense? Plus, you traveled in a straight line. I'm no expert tracker, but that one's textbook case on earthbenders."

She huffed and bend him into the air. He landed easily. She could feel anger radiating of off him. It felt like fire. "That," he remarked. "was unpleasant. Don't do it again."

Toph smirked. "Make me, Sparky." And launched another rock at him.

((*))

He had to give it to the girl, she was _good. _Considering she was _blind_, that was saying something. Dodging to the side as another boulder flew his way and jumping up as the ground under him tried to swallow him, he yelled at her. "Are you done?"

Her smirk only got wider. "You wish, Sparky! I'm just getting started!" and upped the speed of her bending.

_Heat is motion. _Zuko recalled from his lessons with Iroh and Zhao. _The fire in you veins can make you faster and stronger than a normal man._ Which was just as well, because otherwise he'd be a royal pancake by now.

"Don't you ever grow tired?" He exclaimed, panting and dodging another rock. They'd been at this for _hours _and the sun was starting to set to the west. He felt Agni's strength slowly leaving him.

"I never grow tired!" she replied, panting and preparing another strike.

"PRIVATE LEE!" Both Zuko and Toph faltered from the force of the shout. "Pick up your feet and get over here!" Zhao commanded, a hundred yards away, standing at the main house with Toph's parents by his side. "You hear me?"

Zuko saluted and shouted back. "Yes, sir! I believe they heard you all the way home, sir!"

"Get your smart ass over here so I can kick it! Dinner is served!" With that he stormed back into the house.

Zuko sighed and faced his opponent, bowing to her. She simply smirked at him and walked over. Then she punched him in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

She only snickered. "You're okay, for a fire guy." She turned and walked away. "I've had fire guys as target practice before, but they were always done for in minutes. How come you can fight like a _real_ man, but are ranked as just a private?"

He grumbled, catching up to walk beside her. "Overprotective family. If they'd only give me a chance, I wouldn't be a private anymore." Stick with the story. They can't learn that his rank and worth far exceeded that of a simple private.

She frowned slightly. "Yeah, I know what that feels like. My parents think I can barely move a pebble." Zuko snorted. "I'm starting to wonder who're the blind ones in this family."

She snickered, but frowned again in a moment. She grabbed his arm to stop him in his tracks and placed a hand on his chest. "Repeat your name and rank." She demanded.

His eye widened. "huh?" What was this about?

"Just do it!" She ordered, sounding impatient.

He shrugged, complying. "I'm Lee, my rank is private."

Her brow furrowed slightly, before she smirked yet again. "You're lying." She told him.

His heart skipped a beat. "And how would _you _know that?" He asked, fighting down panic.

She shrugged. "I can see through earthbending. The vibrations tell me about the world around me. As long as I have earth beneath my feet, I'm cool. And when people lie, their heart beats in a certain way. I can feel that, when I'm real close like this. She smirked up at him, eyes on the region of his nose.

"So, what's your real name?" She asked.

Zuko considered the question and shrugged. "Some other time squirt." He ruffled her hair.

She earthbend him into a tree.

((*))

_One year ago, Ember Island_

Zuko was looking for his mother. He'd gotten new dao swords from father and he wanted to show them off. Walking into his parent's room, he called out.

"Mom! You gotta see this!"

The room was devoid of his mother. His sister, however, was present. She was sitting in front of the vanity, her lips a deep red Zuko hadn't ever seen on her.

She flushed red as her lips and tried to rub it off, only to have it smeared over her face.

"… Azula, what are you doing with mom's lipstick?" Zuko asked.

She muttered something he could not hear and he raised his lone brow. She muttered again, and again he couldn't catch it. His brow rose higher.

"He didn't take me seriously, okay?" She finally blurted out.

Zuko's confusion increased tenfold. "Who are we talking about?"

Azula crossed her arms and pouted, the effect amplified by her red lips. "Zhao. I asked him to spar and he told me to 'come back in ten years', then he'd spar me. Then, he told me to 'go play.'"

Zuko nodded. He knew his sister had a little crush on the muscular captain. Being brushed off like that must've hurt. "So… why the lipstick?" He asked her.

Azula turned away from her brother, but kept her eyes on him through the vanity's mirror. "It makes me look older. Like mom. He'll take me seriously if I'm older, right?"

Zuko nodded. "Yes. But you know, Azula, looking older doesn't make you any older."

"I know." She assured him. "But perhaps it'll make him see me." She finished with a sad look.

Zuko walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "So what if he doesn't take you seriously now?" Okay, that hadn't been his most comforting comment ever. "That'll only make him see you clearer when you _do_ wipe the floor with him." Zuko grinned, trying to make amends quickly.

Azula's lip quirked slightly. "You just don't like the lipstick." She accused. That was true enough.

"Yeah. I think you look better without it. Youth suits you." As if to confirm this, she poked her tongue out at him.

"True." She replied. "And it does indeed have some tactical advantages… Okay, no lipstick then."

Zuko grinned brightly at her. Then he looked around again. "Say, have you seen mom? I want to show her my new dao…"

"She's out with the servants again. She'll be back by dinner." Azula answered him.

"Oh…" He deflated slightly. "I see."

Azula poked him in the side, causing him to jump. "You can show them to _me_, dum-dum." She said with a smile.

((*))

Extra long because this story broke the 30 reviews. :D Hope we'll hit 40 with this!

That's it for this chapter. Most likely this arc will be three chapters, rather than two.

Mikihisa (Miki for short) is my first long term OC. I won't be making a lot of those. Avatarverse has a fine cast, no need to add much. He's based loosely on Yoh Asakura and Mikihisa Asakura from the Shaman King series.

And no, it's not eternal love at first sight. Lucky Aang that he meets his soul mate at twelve, but most of us work through a few relationships before we get that lucky. He won't be playing a huge roll either. Just a supporting character. That's the plan. If you have an _alternate_ plan for him, I'm all ears.

Sorry if Zuko was ooc. I'm having a hard time with this, as basically all of his defining characteristics (angst, inferiority complex toward his sister, daddy complex etc.) have all been stripped from him. But in 'the storm' episode (if I recall the title correctly) he seemed like a cheerful, willful kid. I'm trying to make him grow naturally from there, which is _not_ what he did in canon.

So, Toph made her entrance. Hope you liked her. Should be obvious where that's heading. Just one very important thing on that: read the gernes. Drama. Family. Not romance. Romance is not gonna be big in this story people. The only reason I put 'TOKO' in the summary is so readers wouldn't feel cheated later on, not because it's gonna have such a big impact on the story.

That said, hope you enjoyed the take on the southern earth kingdom, with merchants and all that.

Just a heads-up: that storm war thing in chap trhee? Thats gonna come back to bite Aang in the blubber. Big time.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry if my update speed is a bit too fast. I'm just striking the iron while it's hot.

For the record, I am no architect or builder. Going with the internet here, sorry if I get something (read: everything) wrong.

Thanks for the amazing reviews! :D Hope to reach the 50 (or may haps 60?) with this. ;P

((*))

"Look over there, Azula. There's a new district being build over. Note the differences in architecture between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom and how they combine to make something greater."

Azula glanced over at the construction site and was immediately confused. "Shouldn't the trees be removed _before _they start building?" She asked, sounding more condescending than anything.

Iroh chuckled and she rounded on him. "Something funny, uncle?" She demanded with cold calmness, yet itching to light the old man on fire.

"Yes. You, actually." The man wiped a tear from this eye. Beside him, Miki spoke up. "Trees are part of the land, my lady. In the Earth Kingdom, the land is sacred. Trees are not cut down without good cause, so they try to build around them. If they can." He grinned at her.

Azula nodded, gazing off into the city, taking in the sight of tall spires connected by walkways high up, their base surrounded by smaller buildings. The trees grew undisturbed between them. In a matter of weeks, the site they were visiting would look like that as well.

"What are they doing here?" She asked, gesturing to some earth and firebenders working around a forge.

"Ah." Iroh answered. "They are creating the walls and beams supporting the spires. It is an ingenious combination of concrete as it is used in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation steel, which reinforces it." He turned to the master builder that accompanied them. "reinforced concrete, correct?"

The builder, named Shiro, nodded at them. "Yes. While the Fire Nation uses limestone for most of its structures, we don't. There just isn't enough of the stuff around. So, we mingle multiple types of rock together to make concrete. This is capable of withstanding enormous pressure, but when stretched it will shatter almost immediately. This makes using them in tall structures... difficult. But when you place steel bars at strategic places to reinforce it, it _can_ be used. You see, when reinforced concrete is stretched, the power of the stretch falls on the steel bars, leaving the concrete intact, as you can see." He said, waving his hand at the skyline proudly.

Azula nodded, comprehending. She had to hand it to the colonies, they were innovative. The mingling of Earth and Fire had given rise to revolutionary ways of thinking and doing, far exceeding the potential that either could achieve on their own. This was the third colonial city that she'd visited with her uncle, Miki and their entourage (their ship followed them a bit of the coast, always docking nearby), and she was amazed every time at the wonders she saw.

_And was that not what Sozin intended in the first place? _She mused._ A world were the elements worked together to achieve true greatness?_

((*))

Zhao stood on the porch of the main house of the Beifong estate, watching as young Toph pelted the prince with rocks and smiled. Such a fine sight.

"He'll be good to her, I think." Loa remarked from behind him. Zhao turned to face the his host.

"He is honor bound to treat her with respect. She is his fiancé, after all." _I'd worry about __him__, more than her._

Lao nodded. "Yes, but neither of them know that yet."

"And won't for at least another three years." Zhao reminded the merchant firmly. "In the Fire Nation, people aren't forced into weddings. They can be arranged, for sure, but the final say lies with those to be wed. It is best these two befriend each other _before_ they undertake such a thing."

Prince Iroh had been very specific in his orders. Wedding Fire Nation royalty to _Earth Kingdom_ _citizens _had been unthinkable for the longest time, but as Fire Lord Azulon grew older he gave Iroh more and more of his power. Azulon ruled the Fire Nation and everything in it, Iroh ruled the colonies and everything in them. He also had absolute authority to deal with the Earth kingdom as he saw fit.

If Zuko happened to be betrothed to an Earth Kingdom girl while he was in the Earth kingdom, and this was Iroh's way of dealing with the Southern Merchant houses, then that was _none of Azulon's business_ _anymore_.

But boy, would he be _furious_ when he found out.

"You have much to gain through this." Zhao continued, though this had all been said before over the week they had spent negotiating. The agreement was signed, the deals had been made. Zhao would get to keep his new rank, Zuko would be married within the decade and Lao would start the preparations for a smooth transition of power from the merchants to Iroh. It would take a few years, but they'd get it done. The south would be theirs.

"Marrying into the line of the Fire Lord ensures safety and prosperity for all your descendants, and will see you to more trade benefits in a decade than your father and grandfather ever saw during their lifetimes. Wealth and power, all in one stroke."

"Just keep my daughter safe and happy." Lao replied sternly. "She is all we have."

"Commander Zhao!" Zhao turned to see Zuko running towards him, Toph in tow, waving a bit of paper one hand while supporting a hawk in the other.

"What is it, private lee?" He asked mildly.

"It's Fire Lord Azulon, sir!" Zuko answered, seeming distraught.

"What of him?"

"He died three days ago. His heart stopped." Zuko answered, slightly pale, handing Zhao the scroll.

((*))

The palace was bustling with people, all there to attend Iroh's coronation. It had been tradition to burn the body of the previous lord while simultaneously crowning the new, but seeing as Iroh had been in the Earth Kingdom when Azulon died they decided to forgo this.

_Thanks Agni for that._ Zuko thought. _I don't even want to imagine the smell._

He was dressed in white, trimmed with gold, as was tradition for the royal family in the event of a funeral, birht or coronation. He stood to the side of the hallway, leaning against the wall next to Sozin's royal portrait, scanning the crowd for anyone familiar.

Turning to his right, he found one such person had settled next to him. Azula smiled at him and promptly hugged him. He hugged her back.

"Good to see you again, Zu-Zu." She whispered. He smirked, thinking of a time when 'Zu-Zu' had been an insult. Now, it was music.

"Aw, you missed your big brother? I'm so touched." She smirked back at him and kneed him in the crotch, causing him to double over with a gasp.

"You're defense is so sloppy, dum-dum." She informed him, casually inspecting her nails.

"I'll keep that in mind." He grumbled from somewhere around her knee.

"Guess some things never change." Ursa spoke up, approaching them, Zhao in tow. "It's good to see you two again." She said, hugging her daughter. Zuko was still on his knees. Zhao prodded him with his foot muttering 'get up, you're a disgrace.'

"Though I would have liked to see you again under happier circumstances." Ursa finished.

Zhao nodded. "The world mourns him." He spoke solemnly.

"Half the world." Zuko added as he stood. "The other half's been drunk for a week."

Ursa snorted. "And your father the drunkest of them all. Just yesterday he was doing somersaults across the beach, dressed in nothing but a Fire Nation flag." She smiled slyly. "Though I have to admit, our nights have been rather exciting the past week."

"Mom!" Zuko and Azula exclaimed in unison, both beet red. Ursa giggled and Zhao laughed.

"Does that mean we can expect another addition to the royal line, my lady?" He asked, eyes twinkling with amusement.

Ursa smiled a secretive smile. "Let's just say that's the case, do you know any good baby names, commander Zhao?"

((*))

Ozai nudged his brother forward. "Relax. All you have to do is sit there and let the adoration of an entire nation rain down on you. What could possibly go wrong?" Okay, that earned him a dark look that he frankly didn't deserve.

"Brother, in our family? Something _always _goes wrong." Iroh remarked, eying the sky for passing thunderstorms and testing the ground for potential volcanic eruptions.

_Ah_. Ozai thought. _And_ _then there was that._ The younger man scoffed. "You're starting to sound like Zuko. Now,"

He started, nudging Iroh in the back and manhandling the man's head. "Back straight, eyes forward and take it like a man!" And promptly booted Iroh out from behind the curtains.

The Agni Kai court, which was filled to the brim for the occasion was silent for a moment, before erupting into a loud cheer. Behind the curtains, Ozai smiled small smile and, through a tiny parting in the curtains, watched his brother claim his birthright as the most powerful man in the world under the watchful eyes of an adoring people.

He tried to kill any feeling of envy lingering in his chest. Not all of it died, but most did.

((*))

After the crown had been placed on his head and the crowd had stopped cheering, Iroh started speaking.

"I thank you all for being here today. I promise you, I will not disappoint you." He spoke, his resolve echoing in the silence. Now, he decided, it was high time for justice.

"Two years ago, my younger brother, prince Ozai, offended the departed Fire Lord, and he responded by revoking my brother's right to inherit, revoked his position as minister of propaganda and intelligence and banished him from the Caldera."

Iroh held out his hand toward his brother, who he saw peeking through the curtains. "Ozai, step forward." For a moment, nothing happened. But then, with a head held high and sure strides, Ozai appeared from behind the curtain. Iroh could see the uncertainty dance in his eyes, however.

Iroh took his hand and beckoned the head of the fire sages forward. He carried a small box with him. "It is high time that I rewarded my brother's loyalty to our nation. I restore his right to inherit, restore his position as minister of propaganda and intelligence and finally…"

Iroh opened the box offered to him by the fire sage and pulled out a single ring. Iroh took a split second to admire its design, a dragon biting its own tail, cut from the finest ruby available. No man had worn it since the time of Fire Lord Kasai II, father of Sozin.

He placed the ring around Ozai's finger and saw the younger man's eyes widen. Iroh continued. "I name him Master of State, the second most powerful man in the Fire Nation! He answers only to me! In a time before Sozin, it was tradition for a Fire Lord to name a family member he trusted as Master of State on his coronation. 'Some tradition should die.' Sozin had claimed, but I say, some traditions should never be ended!" He held Ozai's hand high, showing the ring to the crowd. They cheered, roaring his name.

Iroh could swear he saw tears in his brother's eyes.

((*))

Zuko walked the halls of the palace. They were silent at this early hour, and he'd much rather be in bed. But one did not ignore a Fire Lord's summon. At the entrance of the throne room, Azula was waiting for him.

"If we worked together, you think we can kill him for this atrocity?" He asked of her. She shrugged at him.

"I don't think so. Does it hurt to try?" She answered him, quirking an eyebrow.

"Depends on how important this is." If it was for morning tea, he'd fry the old man. He pushed the curtains aside and walked in.

Iroh was seated amongst the flames, a silent shadow. Zuko and Azula walked up to the flames and knelt before them.

"You summoned us, Fire Lord?" Azula inquired. It was probably for the best to let Azula do the talking. He'd never been good with authority figures.

A rumble came from behind the flames as the shadow rose, parting the flames. Iroh had never been comfortable with robes befitting his stature, so as Fire Lord he wore a simple grey robe with hints of lavender in its hue. Over it, he wore traditional armor that protected his strong torso and shoulders. In his grey topknot, the crown gleamed gold.

He walked down to them, smiling. "I'm thinking of redecorating this place." He told them, glancing around. "I have found some drawings of what the throne room looked like prior to Sozin's remodeling, and think it would do good to lighten this palace up a bit. What say you?"

Zuko had to sit on his temper. Had they been summoned this early to talk about _interior_ _decorating_? Azula beat him to it, asking in a calm voice "Sounds good, but surely you did not summon us for that, uncle?"

Iroh stopped just shy of them. "No." He confirmed. "I did not. In fact, I have a mission for the two of you."

He started pacing before them, briefing them on what they were to do. "Captain Jee and his crew will be sailing on the afternoon tide. They are bound for the Sun Island. There, he and his crew will collect herbs that make a particularly exquisite tea blend. You will join them, but instead of collecting herbs you will forge on to the ruins of Nahua, the city of the sun." He eyed them, seriously. "You will attempt to retrieve the Sunstone that resides there. You will fail, which is when you will meet my contacts there. Tell them that Fire Lord Iroh sends for them and their masters. They will know what to do from there."

Azula quirked her brow. "Why will we _fail_? And why do we have to fail _before_ meeting your contacts? How will we even know it's them?"

Iroh smiled sheepishly at her. "That, sweet niece, I cannot tell you."

Zuko had had enough. It was too early for this. "Speak sense, old man!" He demanded. "Why the need for secrecy? What is it you want of us?"

Iroh shook his head, eyes sad, before they hardened. Zuko swallowed.

"Prince Zuko," The old lord began. "I am Fire Lord. You'd do well to remember this. You are not to question me, you have no right to demand anything of me. Doing so is blatant disrespect towards my person. I will let it slide because we are among family, but do so among my subjects, and I _will_ be forced to reprimand you. My father has killed men for less." Iroh finished harshly.

Zuko swallowed again and bowed his head. "Of course, my lord. May we take our leave?"

"You may." Iroh turned from them and they walked towards the exit.

Glancing over his shoulder, Zuko saw Iroh walk back up the steps toward his seat, shoulders slumped and sad, as if weighed down by the weight of the world.

((*))

_Dragons! _Azula thought, mind numb. _The masters are dragons!_

They flew about them, their movements making the air blow. Getting to the city and avoiding the traps had been easy enough, opening the door to the treasure chamber had been pathetically simple (Really. Light bouncing of a dao was enough to open the lock? Amateurs), and figuring out how to procure the egg had been simple too. Just mimic the age old firebending form depicted through statues.

The viscous slime had been a surprise, but nothing they could not overcome. They simply maneuvered themselves so that their face was facing up through a small grated opening in the roof. From there, it was a simple matter of melting the bars and worming their way out.

When they had been surrounded by Iroh's 'contacts' and forced to carry a part of the Eternal Flame all to the top of the mountain, she had never expected _this_.

_Wait a moment… _

She nudged her brother. "I think, they want us to dance with them." Granted, that sounded more intelligent in her head.

"Excuse me? Do you remember the time you set me up to dance with Mai? _I. Don't. Dance._"

Azula shrugged. They did look kind of cute together dancing, but she feared Mai's feet would never forget that night. Such a pity. "No, I mean they want us to do that firebending form with them. The Dancing Dragon."

Zuko shuddered. "Somehow, I think Iroh _knew_ he'd be putting me in this position."

"Yeah." Azula agreed dryly. "He's probably laughing his butt off. May I have this dance?"

Zuko huffed. "You may."

((*))

"So fire… is _life_." Zuko said, dazed. Beside him, Azula punched a fireball into the air, but instead of the regular red fire, hers was a striking blue. She smiled, amazed despite herself.

He grabbed the flame from the air, the fire turning red in his hands, and moved it to form a ring around them. Then, he let it extinguish.

"Yes." The chief agreed, walking up to them with a smile. "It is life. And love, passion, anger, hate, kindness, compassion, all emotions are fire." He stopped before them, his smile never fading.

"Years ago, Fire Lord Iroh, a prince then, came looking for the masters. They deemed him worthy, and taught them the secret of firebending. He told us that, when he was Fire Lord, he'd sent for us and properly reinstate our firebending philosophy as the right one. The masters would be free to fly again." He finished, looking at the dragons coiled around the bridges hanging high.

_And so they will. _Zuko thought, and bowed to the chief. "We will inform the Fire Lord. We'll sent a hawk to let you know the result." He was pretty sure they had one trained to find these ruins.

It was then that he felt hot breath on his neck and turned. The red dragon, Shaw, was looking at him. Azula was in the same position with Ran. The giant dragon places his whisker to Zuko's forehead and he saw a vision of himself seated behind the dragon's head, holding on to its mane and soaring through the sky. When Shaw removed the whisker, Zuko had to retch due to the wave of dizziness that overcame him. Azula was no different.

The chief grinned sheepishly at them. "Sorry. That tends to happen the first time."

"You… you want me to ride you?" Zuko heard Azula ask when they had emptied their stomach.

Both dragons nodded their heads once and lowered them to the ground. Zuko and Azula glanced at each other, the same thought going through their heads.

_Climb on and risk getting eaten in return for trying to ride on a dragon's back?_

They were clambering on before they knew it.

((*))

Iroh grinned as he saw his niece and nephew touch down before the palace gates, a crowd of amazed onlookers gathering.

Zuko hopped of and jerked a thumb towards the massive creatures. "You ordered a dragon, my lord?"

Iroh simply nodded and turned to address the people of the Caldera. Most of the city had had already come running at the sight of dragons soaring through the sky, and he knew the rest would come running soon enough.

"People of the Caldera, behold!" He announced grandly. "My niece and nephew have returned the dragons to us!" He gestured to the two youths, both of them bowing before the crowd.

The people roared, hailing the dragons. "Hail the dragons! Hail the dragons!"

When a single soul cried "Hail the young dragons!" and gestured to the his young niece and nephew, Iroh was not surprised to hear the rest of the crowd pick up the chant quickly.

"Hail the young dragons! Hail the young dragons!"

It was then that Iroh knew, knew that this would be the decade in which the Fire Nation conquered the world.

And these two would be leading the way.

((*))

Sorry for any errors. I remind you, English is not my native language.

Running an nation all be yourself is hard. Its tiring. It would be logical for the Fire Lord to have a 'first mate', so to speak, to ease that burden. That is the Master of State, which Ozai now is. You could see it as Iroh's way of washing away the bad blood between them.

Ozai is going to fade into the background for a while, so I wanted to give him a moment to shine.

A slightly shorter chapter than usual, sorry guys. I took pretty long to make, cuz I wanted to get it right. Why?

These were the final preparations. That's right, canon starts next chapter. Hope to see you all there!

Don't forget to review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Wow! So many reviews! Thank you! We passed the 60! XD Guys, you made one happy author. Hope I can keep you entertained for a long while yet.

Shall we go for the 70-80 mark with this one?

Truly sorry for errors. I try to stop them, but they tend to slip through.

((*))

"… could you repeat that, Ty Lee?" Zuko asked in a controlled voice, turning away from the bow of his ship, away from the sea and the rays Agni was showering them with. A new day, a new problem to solve.

"Hawky came back! With a message from commander Zhao!" Ty Lee repeated brightly.

"Yes, Ty Lee, I got that." Zuko sighed, rubbing his temple. He could feel a headache coming on. "But you said something about the _contents _of the message that bothered me."

"The Avatar's is on Kyoshi Island." A bored voice to his left spoke up. "Sounds less boring than this ship." Mai concluded. "Are we going to check it out?"

Zuko was silent for a moment, contemplating. "The South Sea is Zhao's jurisdiction. What has he been doing?" He turned to Mai with his question, knowing he'd get a faster result than with Ty Lee.

"He double checked, to see if the Intel was solid. When it turned out to be, he sent fifty warships to patrol the waters surrounding Kyoshi Island and sent out an ultimatum. The Avatar would have to leave Island within two days, or they would be attacked. The avatar left the next day, mounted on a sky bison." Mai answered in her monotone voice, information accurate and well delivered. If only he could have a hundred officers like her.

…a sky bison meant this avatar was most likely an Air Nomad.

The prince gripped the bridge of his nose, sighing. Honestly, _fifty_ warships? _One_ sizeable ship and the ultimatum would have done the trick. But then, Zhao did have a knack for using excessive force.

"Where is the avatar headed now?" Zuko asked, though he already knew.

"He's going in the direction where all the aura is coming from!" Ty Lee exclaimed.

Mai nodded. "The message says that he went south. Since there is nothing there for an Air Nomad other than the temple…" She trailed off.

So, the Air Islands. Most likely the air temple. Zuko suppressed a shudder. Though the Air Nomads' final stand had been a century ago, people still avoided the temple, and he could understand why.

Zuko had visited them all at least once. The northern and western weren't all that bad, but the southern and eastern still had a strong aura of death about them. You didn't have to be Ty Lee to feel it clinging to you as you walked through the scorched halls, accompanied only by the sound of your footsteps and the howling wind…

"Does Zhao mention the flying speed of the bison?" Zuko posed another question, trying to take his mind away from that dark place. Besides, he had to know how much time he had.

"It's about as fast as one of our smaller cruisers." Mai answered, reading off the scroll. "At least, when you're lobbing fire at it. Otherwise, it's about half as fast."

Zuko nodded. That meant that it would take about three days for the Avatar to reach the temple. It would take Zuko another day to reach his current destination, Gaoling. From there, it would be four days sailing towards the temple. They'd miss the avatar for sure.

Zuko walked over the deck of his ship. The Empire-class battleship, called 'Dragon's Fang,' was by far the largest ship Zuko had ever commanded. It had about 1300 crew members, all of them specially trained to suit his needs.

After the return of the dragons, Iroh had assigned both his niece and nephew to the Earth Kingdom. Azula managed Pouhai Stronghold in the north, monitoring the training of the requites there and managing the supply lines to the frontlines in the east.

Zuko had been assigned to deal with any disturbances in the southern Earth Kingdom. If one of the merchant houses grew to bold, it was up to Zuko to put them in their place. This, of course, gave him plenty of opportunities to slip away and visit Toph.

_Your fiancé. _He reminded himself. He had been told by Iroh, just a week ago, and he was going to visit her now. She had been made aware of it as well.

He sighed. This wasn't going to be pretty. He just hoped his gift would appease her enough to let him live.

He came to a stop before a gigantic red creature lazing about in the sun. He placed a hand on Shaw's muzzle. The dragon had been a great companion and teacher over the years. On top of that, Shaw always maintained a telepathic connection with Ran, who was staying with Azula. Through the dragons, the siblings could talk to each other while a thousand miles apart. It made their separation just a tiny bit more bearable.

"Ladies!" He announced. "We're changing course. You will head toward the southern Air Islands and keep your eyes open. Do not engage the avatar unless you are pressed. I will take Shaw and fly the rest of the way to Gaoling. I will go to the Air Temple tomorrow." He turned to face Mai and Ty Lee.

"I expect you to keep the crew sharp while I'm away. I want to be pelted with knives the moment I step back on board and dodging chi-blockers the moment I turn in for bed. Don't let your squads slack off."

The girls bowed. "Yes sir!"

Then he hopped onto Shaw's head took off.

((*))

When Toph felt a huge weight touch down on the grounds, she immediately jumped up and prepared for battle. It felt like a viper, but _huge._ When she felt a small weight touch down next to it, she relaxed a bit. She knew that heartbeat. Or at least, she thought she did.

_Oh, grow up._ She scolded herself. _You knew he was lying since the day you met him. Now, you just know why he did._

Still, she felt slightly betrayed. He'd been playing her for _years_. Best friend or not, he was going to pay for that.

With that resolution in mind, she stepped out to confront him. Her parents were away on business and weren't there to greet him, which was probably for the best. She told the guards and servants that had come running to scram and in moments she was alone with the prince.

"You!" She said, jabbing a finger in, what she thought, was his direction. "You're going down!"

"I swear, what did that bush ever do to you?" He grumbled before she felt him put his hands in the air. "In my defense, I had no idea!" He announced. "I didn't know they were going to ask something like this from us!"

"That's not why I'm mad!" She yelled, burying him to his chin in the dirt. She stalked over to where his head was poking out above the ground and squatted before him, jabbing a finger at his nose. It hit home, thanks the spirits. Last time she tried that she nearly poked his eye out.

"When exactly where you going to tell me that you were the freakin' _crown prince_ of the Fire Nation?" And damn it, why did her voice sound so hurt when she said that?

"As soon as I was given permission to tell you." He replied, not missing a beat. "Agni knows I asked for it a thousand times, but the Fire Lord gave me specific orders _not to tell anyone_."

…truth. Damn him. She'd been told about why there was need for such secrecy by her parents, and she understood. Didn't make her feel any better about being played, but at least he'd _asked_ to tell her. He hadn't _wanted _to keep her in the dark.

"I'm sorry Toph. I didn't mean to hurt you, honestly." Truth, again. She sighed and bend him out of the ground, taking the dirt of his clothing with another flick of her wrist.

They stood there for a moment, in silence. Zuko broke it. "So…they told you about the terms?" He asked her, tentatively.

She grinned inwardly. Perhaps she could get some fun out of this yet.

"Yeah." She confirmed. "Kind of exciting, being engaged to the Fire prince, but seeing as it's _you_…" She trailed off, waiting for him to rise to the bait. He did not disappoint her.

"You don't see anything." He deadpanned, seeing through her wordplay. "And the choice is yours. If you don't want to, no one can force you. You have until your sixteenth birthday to decide. So did I." But his sixteenth birthday had been a few weeks ago, she recalle- hold on.

That meant he had _already made his choice_. So if _she _still had a choice that meant…

"You agreed to marry me?" She asked, a bit dumbstruck. That had to be it. If either of them said _no_, the deal was off. "Why?"

She felt him shrug. "What are the odds of having an arranged marriage with a person you actually _like_? I am not passing that up."

Which was both the sweetest and dumbest thing he had ever told her. "Don't know if I'm flattered by that." She muttered. It made her sound like the least rotten option. Better than the rest, but rotten none the less.

She felt his heart rate pick up. "I didn't mean it like that!" He spoke quickly. She listened attentively, motioning for him to continue.

He sighed. "I like you Toph, I really do. You're my best friend." He told her straight out. She liked hearing it, despite the fact that it was a long established fact. "When they told me you were my fiancé… well, I was surprised, but not unhappy, because I knew that with _you_, I could actually be happy. Puts you one up on, well, the _world_." She felt his heart slow down. "Sorry. I suck at words."

"So you're saying…" She started, tone far to hopeful for her liking. "You want to be with me, not just because you feel like you have to, but because you _like_ me?"

She heart cloth rustle and she knew he had just crossed his arms. "Yes. I like you, as a friend. My best friend." He elaborated. "And I know that, in time, I will learn to love you as more." He answered, voice resolved.

She smirked at him. "That sounds a lot better, Sparky." She sauntered over to him. "So… you got a tiny crush on the blind twelve year old? Kinky." She teased him. He didn't even flinch.

"Well, you know me." He remarked. "I'm a sucker for the hips."

That brought the heat to her face, alright. Earth bending required a _lot_ of thigh work, and under her robes Toph had some decent hips in the making. She smirked.

"Good to know I have some appeal." She told him. "I'd return the compliment, but I have no idea what your butt looks like."

"Which brings me to my gift for you." He turned to the giant dragon that Toph had all but forgotten. "Toph, meet Shaw."

She quirked a eyebrow. "Hi." She waved at the dragon and felt a faint amusement rolling of it. "Is this your idea of pet, Sparky?" She asked.

"He's not mine to give." Zuko answered her. "Shaw is my companion and teacher, not my servant or pet."

She mulled on that for a moment. "So _that's_ why Ba Sing Se is still in business." She remarked. The moment he had told her that the Fire Nation royal family possessed dragons, the figured that Ba Sing Se would fall within the month. It hadn't.

"Yes." Zuko confirmed. "This is not their war, and they are no subjects of the Fire Lord. They made it very clear that they would not fight in the war."

She felt him move and a warm hand grasped her own, pulling her towards the dragon. "Dragons have very special ability that I would like to show you. It will make you nauseous, but I think it will be worth it." Zuko guided her hand, and she felt a whisker touch her.

"You can't show me anything, Sparky." She replied.

The world spun around her, and suddenly she saw _colors_ and knew what they meant. Concepts of the visual world filed her mind. She saw the bushes and knew them, saw the wall she had bent a thousand times to get to and Rumble, saw her home. All she recognized for what they were.

She saw two people. She saw the taller one's lips move, and the voice was a familiar one. "People don't see with their eyes alone, Toph. You eyes merely catch the light, your _brain_ turns it into an image. When Shaw touches you, he touches your vey soul. You can see through _his_ eyes." He finished. "My gift to you."

"That's-" she swallowed. "That's you?" She asked, her voice soft.

She saw the boy move his head down and up again. "That was a nod." He supplied, not knowing that the concept had formed in her head as he preformed the action. "And yes, you're looking at me."

He was dressed in simple clothing, a red tunic and pants. Under his short sleeved tunic he wore a black close fitting shirt that covered his arms to the wrists. She could not see what he wore around his feet. His face was deformed on the left side, but she _knew_ he was handsome despite that. His hair was done up in a topknot, decorated with a single headpiece that had two gold prongs facing to the side. His eyes were a fierce golden, fixed in the smaller person next to him.

"And that's… me." She saw her own lips move as she spoke. Her hair was done up in the usual bun, Her green dress and small coat her only defense against the cold of early winter.

She swallowed. "Can… can Shaw show me the world through my _own_ eyes?" She asked the boy next to her, voice wavering slightly. He nodded again. Her world shifted again. Now she was seeing the dragon in all its red glory. She paid it no heed as she turned to her friend.

He smiled at her. "You were always going on about how _sometimes,_ you just wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Though your own sight is far cooler." He quoted her. "...am I forgiven?"

She earthbend him into a tree.

"_Now_ you are." She said smirking, hoping he couldn't see her teary eyes.

((*))

_Oh crap_. Sokka thought, seeing what Aang had found. The skeleton was surrounded by dead firebenders. Katara was not talking them out of this one.

When Sokka and Katara left their home to travel with Aang to the North Pole, they had almost immediately been spotted by Fire Nation ships. While Appa was dodging fireballs, Sokka had exclaimed that they should head for Kyoshi Island. His dad had told him that was a neutral zone. If they laid low, they could hide there for a while.

Turned out Aang didn't know what laying low meant. Really, riding giant fish? Finding out the kid was the avatar was a pretty big shock, but at least it got the weird girls with the fans of their back. At least there captain had been pretty cool.

And only a day later, dozens of fire nation ships were on the horizon and a hawk had brought a scroll. They had to go, or be attacked. Not wanting to bring the islanders in danger, they went.

Which was just as well. Aang had told them that his previous incarnation, Avatar Roku, had visited him in a dream. The message boiled down to: defeat evil Fire Nation royal family before the end of summer or the world goes boom. Got it. Best get to the North Pole fast so Aang can learn-

Why were Aang's tattoos glowing?

Before he knew it he was blown back by a rapidly expanding air sphere surrounding Aang. He flew out of the building, smacking against a wall outside. He could only watch as the building he had just been in exploded and Aang started to ascent, eyes and tattoos glowing brightly.

What was going on?

"What's going on?" Katara yelled at him over the wind, holding up her arms to shield herself from the debris Aang was sending in all directions.

"I don't know! Aang found this skeleton and then he started glowing!" That skeleton's robes and necklace were the same as the statue that Aang had shown them earlier, Sokka realized. "I think it's Gyatso's skeleton!" He finished.

A gust of wind blew the back further. "We gotta calm him down!" Katara exclaimed. "Or he'll blow us of the mountainside!"

"Well get to it!" Sokka yelled back. "You're the cheery one!"

Katara started talking to Aang, and he honestly couldn't hear squat of it over the wind. Something about 'family.' Whatever it was, it worked. The wind died down and Aang touched down again.

Katara walked up to him and grabbed his hand. The glow about Aang vanished.

Sokka took his time to pick himself of the ground, eying Aang wearily. Things may look safe, but he was going to keep his distance for just a little longer.

It was then that a giant red serpent landed next to where they stood. "Run!" He shouted. "Giant serpent thing!"

"Relax Sokka!" Aang shouted back, not quite sounding like his usual cheerful self, but close enough. "It's just a dragon! It won't hurt us if we don't annoy it!"

_Then he doesn't tell you what annoys it._ Sokka thought. He wasn't convinced, but went to stand by Aang anyway. If breathing proved to annoy the dragon, he'd rather have the Avatar between it and him.

A man leaped off of the dragon's head to land before them in a crouch. The man was dressed in red, was pale as the moon and had his hair done op in a topknot. Fire Nation. That made him worry about the dragon that much more.

As the man rose Sokka tried to take in his face, but was distracted by the scar that dominated most of it. That must've hurt.

The man gave him a dark look. Had he said that out loud? "No." The man said. "It was a stroll in the park, really." Yeah, he'd totally said that out loud.

"Sorry." Sokka muttered, wondering why he was bothering to apologize to Fire Nation scum.

"We do you want?" Katara spat at the men, distrust rolling off her in waves.

"To talk. No more." The men replied, completely unfazed by Katara's spite.

The man, half a boy, Sokka realized with start, turned to Aang. "Are you the Avatar?" He asked without decorum. When Aang nodded, he added another question. "Where have you _been?_"

"Frozen in an iceberg at the bottom of the sea!" Aang replied with a cheerful grin that didn't quite reach his eyes.

The man raised one eyebrow at that, but didn't chase the matter. "Do you know the state the world is in?" He asked instead. "Do you know about the war?"

"The war _you_ started, you-" Aang cut her off.

"Katara! He just wants to talk!" Aang told her. Turning back to the scarred boy, Aang nodded. "And yes, I know."

The man nodded as well. "What will you do? Will you try to fight the Fire Nation, or not?" Subtle, this guy was _not, _Sokka concluded.

Aang was silent for a moment. "You're Fire Nation." He stated. His eyes hardened _"Tell me why." _

"_why?_" The boy asked, though he didn't look confused at all.

A moment later, Aang had him pinned to the ground, straddling is waist and yelling in his face. "WHY DID YOU KILL MY PEOPLE?"

The boy, Sokka noted, wasn't bothered at all. That could be due to the knife he'd had pointed at Aang's gut.

"Like you don't know that." The man spat. "Did you think we would just _forget _what you did to us during the Act? Why would we wait for the Air Nomads to decide it was time to wipe us all out, when we could prevent it?"

"What '_act_'?" Aang yelled. "And we would never wipe you out! Air Nomads don't fight!"

The man looked thunderstruck. "You… don't know." He spoke, slowly, incredulously .

Aang threw up his hands, looking emotionally drained. "What's there to know?" The wind was picking up. _Time to move_.

"Aang," Sokka started. "Calm down. Don't go glowy on us _now_." He told his friend, eying the dragon still looming over them all.

Aang turned to face him and the pinned teenager used this to his advantage. With a burst of fire that he launched from his _mouth_, of all places, Aang flew of off him. Aang landed softly, the wind cushioning him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Katara flung at the scarred boy.

Without a word, he rose, turned away, strode toward his dragon and leaped on.

"Where are you going?" Aang yelled after him as the dragon started to ascend.

"A word of warning, Avatar Aang." The youth called down, ignoring the question. "The world you knew is gone, and _this_ world will kill you if you don't heed its dangers. I think it is better for the world if you _live_, though, so hear me and don't forget: do _not_ stray near the ruins of Taku."

With that the dragon turned and flew away, leaving Sokka to wonder what the heck just happened.

"Aang, what's wrong?" He hear Katara yell. Turning back to the boy Sokka saw he was breathing rapidly and collapsing in a heap.

"He's hyperventilating! Aang, deep breaths! Aang! AANG!"

((*))

A/N: I like writing Sokka. You get to be simple, realistic, and a tad sarcastic. Nice.

Rant alert, take cover!

Seriously, in Legend of Korra, all Korra has to do is be depressed and Aang comes marching in. Why couldn't she do that before? Because she was a spiritual failure.

You're telling me Aang, mister spiritual, had to travel halfway around the world to Roku's Island and be there on a special day of the year on a specific time of the day to talk to Roku, while miss spiritual failure could achieve the same effect by being depressed?

Not. Buying. It. Therefore, I went at it from the dream angle.

In case you're wondering what Zuko's take was on his meeting with Aang, that'll come up. ;)

Rant alert:

Sorry if Aang was a bit ooc. In canon, he gets over the loss of his home, the discovery of his people's brutal murder etc. pretty _easily_. He's all smiles when the episode ends. Seriously?

If I am to analyze that kind of emotional behavior, I'd conclude the kid's more messed up than Azula. Why? I 'll tell you.

What seriously bothers me in the show as that there is next to no emphasize on the psychological problem Aang faces. But blunt, his reality has ceased to exist. In a _day_. People had a 100 years to adjust. The process was slow. Aang is smacked over the head with it. And he's _all smiles_. That's messed up. I'm no psychologist, but I think your reality shattering before your eyes, all you knew torn down and staring at you in the form of a skeleton in faded orange robes, makes you a _tad_ more emotionally stressed. Hence his violent reaction to Zuko.

I'll expand on this in the next chapter. Hope to see you there.^^


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: According to spoken canon in Zuko Alone, Azulon reigned for 23 years (in this fic 25). That makes Sozin about 154 years old when he died. Seeing as Bumi is 112 years old and shows no signs of dying anytime soon and Guru Pathik is a 150, we can safely state that it is not impossible for Sozin to have become a 154 (Kyoshi became 230 and, again according to spoken canon (by Koh this time), the math tells us that Kuruk was somewhere in his mid-600 when he died).

I'm using spoken canon as my source of info, rather than written canon, so Sozin died at a 154 years of age. Just clearing that up.

Heads up! There's _history_ coming up. *shudders* On that note, I've implemented and important authors note at the end that should clear up the paradox written in this chapter. If you want to understand it, please read it.

((*))

Iroh sipped his tea, watching his youngest nephew run around the garden, chasing his father. He smiled, recalling a time when Ozai had been the same way with Zuko.

He chuckled out loud when the small boy caught up and tackled his Master of State to the ground. He then sat on Ozai's chest.

"I got you!" He announced, grinning proudly.

"You sure?" Ozai replied, raising a noble brow. Then he reached out and started tickling the boy on top of him. Iroh rolled his eyes, smiling. Figures. Azula and Zuko has been ticklish as well.

"No fair!" The little boy giggled, squirming in Ozai's lap. Ozai merely smirked in reply.

"Those two at it again?" A feminine voice asked from behind Iroh. He turned his head to find Ursa standing there with a soft smile on her face. He let his eyes trail back to the tickle fight. It seemed his nephew had mounted a counterattack.

"Yes. I am glad to see my brother so… loving." Iroh told her. A pity he'd have to interrupt it.

'_Well,' _Iroh thought, rising from his cushion near the turtle duck pond. _'No time like the present.' _"Brother!" He called.

"Hm?" Ozai looked up from where he was entangled with the two year old.

"A word, please." Iroh told him.

Ozai nodded and walked over, taking a seat on one of the plush pillows near the ponds edge, his son still in his lap. Ursa took a seat next to them.

Iroh had been thinking something along the lines of a private audience in the (newly decorated) throne room, but it didn't really matter, so he sat back down.

He cradled his tea for a moment, took a sip and decided there was no beating around the bush. "The Fire Sages tell me that the Avatar has returned."

Ursa's jaw dropped a tiny bit but Ozai seemed undisturbed. At Iroh's look he simply shrugged. "Minister of propaganda and _intelligence._ It's my job to pick up the gossip here and from overseas. What are you going to do?" He asked, quirking that infamous eyebrow at him.

"Nothing." Iroh stated firmly. "I have placed the Earth Kingdom under Zuko and Azula. It is up to them to decide what they will do with the Avatar's return." As had been the way since Fire Lord Azulon turned twenty, Sozin had retreated from the Earth Kingdom and let Azulon have a go at running the war effort there.

Azulon, as crown prince, had been in charge of the Earth Kingdom and the war.

Sozin, as Fire Lord, ruled the Fire Nation and supported Azulon; kept an eye out for his son using his vast experience.

Iroh had been thirty-seven when Sozin had died at the ripe old age of a hundred-fifty-four.

Azulon returned from the Earth Kingdom before the body was cold.

He brought back with him a vast amount of experience and when he sent Iroh to the Earth Kingdom to conquer the world, Azulon had backed him from the Caldera like Sozin before him. The crown prince managed the war and the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Lord the Fire Nation.

Now, it was Iroh's turn to keep an eye on his heir. "But we will be keeping our eyes and ears open. Azula and Zuko are good, but they are young. They shouldn't have to do this on their own. They _won't_."

Ozai nodded. "I'll let you know if my little birds tell me something interesting. I'll use my network to keep your heirs, _our _heirs, safe." He sipped his tea calmly. "Anything else, brother?"

"Why yes." Iroh grinned and turned his full attention to the boy still sitting in Ozai's lap.

"How are little Sozin's numbers coming along?" The lad beamed up at him.

((*))

Azula hummed thoughtfully as she took her hand of Ran's muzzle. This was a strange development…

"Penny for your thoughts?" Miki asked from where he was seated in the floor, sharpening his knives.

"I just got off the dragon with Zu-Zu. It seems the Avatar has returned." Azula informed him curtly, turning back to watch the light of dusk play on the mountains surrounding Pohuai Stronghold. The top of the tower was perfect for that. It was also the only place that could house Ran comfortably.

Miki was silent for a moment. "What are your orders, my lady?" He asked her at length.

Azula was equally silent, gathering her thoughts. "Zuko strongly suspects that this Avatar has not mastered waterbending yet, and is thus headed for the North Pole. Furthermore, he reports that the Avatar has access to the mythical 'Avatar State' that's mentioned in the scrolls, but does not know how to _control_ it. This element of unpredictable power makes him too dangerous to handle through… conventional methods." She finished with a dark smile.

"Conventional, meaning you burn them." It wasn't a question. She gave him a look. "Sorry, you burn them _slowly._" He amended.

Azula mock-sighed. "Oh, you know me too well, Miki." Her voice became all business again. "So, my brother wisely decided to avoid making the Avatar go into this state. According to the records, the Avatar State is first and foremost a defense mechanism for when the Avatar is, physically or emotionally, backed into a corner." She turned to face her companion.

"So, Zuko suggest we do _not _back him into a corner. Yet. We make sure he keeps moving, keeps going to the North Pole. Once there, we can focus or effort on one, sitting, duck. Avatar State or not, the Avatar will fall before sufficient force."

"If we can get past the Nothern Water Tribe to get to him." Miki added. She waved him off.

"You doubt our power?" She asked him, eying him like her next meal. He swallowed.

"We haven't taken the Nothern Water Tribe, even though we've been at this war for a hundred years. It won't fall easily, and with the Avatar there…" He trailed off.

"That's the best part." Azula told him, all smiles. "You see, we _can _defeat the Nothern Water Tribe. Zuko has been preparing for that for three years now." Dragon's Fang had a large crew, and every single one of them had the basics of chi-blocking and knife-throwing taught to them by Mai and Ty Lee, the best of their generation. Last year, the Stronghold's Yuyan had been subject their training. This year, Zuko's ship got a turn. The results were brilliant.

With such skill and their enhanced firebending (those Sun Warriors knew what they were talking about) the Northern Water Tribe would fall.

"But they don't know that. They think themselves safe behind their walls and waterbending. They'll think they can handle us. The Avatar is just a twelve year old Air Nomad. He won't notice he's backed into a corner until it's too late."

"So what you're saying is," Miki started. "Is that you think we can defeat the water tribe _before _the Avatar activates the Avatar State, and then kill the when or before he does?"

Azula nodded. "Almost correct. You see, Zuko thinks it best this Avatar is captured, rather than killed. He thinks we can reason with him, get him to help us. If not, we imprison him forever." She paused. "I think… it's wasted effort."

Miki quirked an eyebrow. She elaborated. "He doesn't even know about the Act of Retribution." She told him. "How can he ever understand this war, if he doesn't know why it started?" She asked Miki.

He smiled sheepishly at her. "My lady, I was born in the colonies. The bastard of a Fire Nation soldier and an Earth Kingdom tailor's daughter. I was given to this fine facility before I could walk. History is not my forte. Would you enlighten me?" He asked her, honest curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

Azula sighed. "History is more Zuko's thing than mine, but fine." She cleared her throat and put up her best storytelling voice. "Long ago, in a land far far away,-" He snickered.

"You want to hear this or not?" She asked, threateningly, but with no real venom.

"I do, I do. Please, continue." He told her, smiling, his laughing blue eyes fixed on her.

"Anyway," Azula continued as if she'd never been disturbed. "to understand this you most know of the first and foremost ethical difference between Air Nomads and us. Air Nomads will go out of their way to safe a live. Or rather, they will not _partake in death_. They don't eat meat, they try not to kill people."

She casually inspected her nails. "Of course, this believe clashed with out custom of human sacrifice." Ah, how his jaw dropped at that. So worth it. "Oh, don't look so shocked. It kept our society healthy. Kept it _balanced_. Avatars like that word, right?" She asked, mockingly. "Undesirables, murderers, dead weights, they were sacrificed on holidays and the like. Less mouths to feed like that. On average, during the time just before the Third Storm War, we sacrificed and estimated ten thousand people a year."

She turned back towards the setting sun, feeling Agni's power leave her. "It wasn't as if though we just killed them. In death, they were _honored_. The most criminal of us could redeem themselves, the most disabled and useless of us could be greater heroes than the Fire Lords. But this changed, when we _lost_ the Third Storm War."

She was silent for a moment, lost in thought, until Miki spoke up. "What happened?" He asked, voice small.

Azula sighed. "The terms stated that we would never again perform human sacrifice. Both Fire Lords were forced to sign, and their people were honor bound to follow those terms from that day forth."

"_Both _Fire Lords?" She heard her friend exclaim. She scoffed.

"What do they teach kids these days? Yes, In Sozin's time there were two Firelords. One in the west, seated in the Caldera, and one in the east, seated in Glass City. "

"…What happened to the eastern Firelord? And I've never heard of this 'Glass City' before." He remarked, tentatively.

_Much and more happened to them. None of it good._ Azula thought. Instead she answered "That's a story for another time." She looked at the sun, catching it disappearing from the sky.

"Long story short, the Fire Nation got _overpopulated_, fast, because the balance that sacrifice brought us was destroyed so suddenly. Sozin saw the storm clouds gathering and decided it best to expand our borders, so we might _live_. Avatar Roku stopped him and time ran out." She spat.

She turned to face him again, eyes fierce. "In the East, people took up the old ways again. They had to. Records indicate that people even _volunteered_ to be sacrificed for the greater good. It was then that the Air Nomads hit us. They didn't see our _pain_, our _loyalty_, our _honor_ or how we _fought_ to prevent this in the first place. They only saw us _break the terms_ they had set for us." She took a deep breath.

"The Temples of West and South marshaled their forces; all the capable benders, all the Sky Bison, and whipped up a storm unlike the world had ever seen. It ripped through the overpopulated east first, tearing up man and land, pushing the sea over our lands, and slowly moved west. The west had the time to prepare for it, so we lived. The east… did not."

She snarled, unable to properly control her rage. "And they _got away_ with it. We _saw_ them riding the storm, Roku did _not_. He refused to believe Sozin's accusation. That was when Sozin decided his people had suffered enough injustice, and when the comet came he struck, decisively. What choice did we have? Wait for our nation to grow too small _again_? Have the Air Nomads kill half our people and get away with it _again_? No."

"But this is not what the world saw, oh no. They only saw us _murder_ _innocent_ monks and nuns. Sozin knew the world would have it out for us from that day on. So we would _take_ the whole world or die trying. Because if we did not, they would kill us for being 'murdering monsters' and upsetting their precious 'balance.'" She finished, smiling bitterly.

Miki was silent for a moment, eyes wide. She didn't blame him. "… that's a lot to take in, my lady." He said eventually.

Azula nodded to him. "Sleep on it. For now, we will remain as we were: training new requites and keeping our eye open. Leave the harrying of the little breezy kid to Zu-Zu. I have great faith in my brother's ability to light a fire under _anyone's _butt."

((*))

"Your highness, there is someone to see you."

"Who is it?" Bumi asked, quirking his eyebrows.

"He claims to be the Avatar, my lord." His attendant, Shifu, told him.

_So, now we'll see if the rumors are true._ "Send them in. Receive them in the grand dining hall. I think I should change. You think the pink, or the orange robe suits me better?" He asked his aid.

"uuh, the orange one, my lord?" The small man ventured.

"Or perhaps I should put on a robe of raw meat! Haven't done that in a while!"

"Spirits, no! Were _still_ paying that poor child's therapy." Shifu exclaimed.

"Oh, you're no fun." Bumi pouted at him and sighed. "Very well, the purple one it is then!"

"But didn't we just agree on the-?" Shifu started but Bumi cut him off.

"Chop chop, Shifu! They aren't going to find the dining room by themselves!"

The small man sighed, resigned. "Yes, my lord." And took his leave. Ah, it was such fun to mess with the young ones.

When he entered the dining room half an hour later dressed in a vivid azure robe (promptly earning him a mortified look from his attendant) Bumi decided that Aang looked worse for wear. His stance was all tense, no doubt from stress, the bags under his eyes were prominent and the eyes themselves were haunted. This was no time for games. Woe was him.

"Now what would an Avatar have of a frail old man?" He asked as he took his seat across from them, digging in.

"The truth." Aang spoke, not even touching his pie.

Bumi laid his chicken turkey wing down and rose. _So much for a lovely dinner. _He thought.

"Follow me, Avatar." He told his old friend. When the water tribe girl made to rise, he gestured for her to halt. "The Avatar must follow me, not you. Eat. The pies are delicious."

She looked like she was about to argue until her brother tugged her back into her seat. "You go do your mystical Avatar stuff, Aang. We'll be _right here_ when you're done." Meaning that if they _weren't _Aang would know that they'd been forced elsewhere. Witty kid. Just a bit too young for this game.

"You needn't trouble yourself with that, dear guests. When you're done, my guard will escort you to the guest chambers." _Which nullified any warning you might want to give_. He was not of a mind to hurt these youngsters, but this boy could use the tactical training for when they _did _visit someone who would.

The lad saw his defeat and held up his hands. "You're the king."

((*))

"Tell me what's bothering you, young Avatar." The king told him as they strolled over the walls of the palace, looking out over the city.

Aang sighed. What _wasn't _bothering him at the moment? His world, everything he knew, it was gone. All gone with the words of one scarred firebender. _The world you knew is gone, and __this__ world will kill you if you don't heed its dangers._

Heed it's dangers… "Bumi," He started. "What happened to our world?" He asked the old man.

The king didn't seem to be surprised at being recognized, and he shouldn't be. It was pretty obvious when you just _looked_.

_See with your eyes. _Gyatso had always taught him. He'd be proud to see his lesson finally hit home…

Bumi tore him away from the memory. "It's gone astray, Aang. Perhaps it always was. Shortly after you disappeared, the Fire Nation attacked the Air Temples and wiped them out in a single day. Why they did so… I can only guess." He looked at the starts now shining overhead and sighed.

"They continued with the Earht Kingdom after the Air Nomads. The first city to fall was Taku, in the north-west. No surprise there, Taku and the Glass City always had trouble. Why should their cousins in the Caldera forget that?" He picked up a stray pebble and bend it down into the city. When the king wood shattering and a cry about cabbages, he smiled despite the conversation. Aang prompted him to continue. "And…?"

Bumi turned back to him, seeming to just remember he wasn't alone. "Ah, where was I? Oh, right. After Taku, the swiftly defeated most of the north-western Earth Kingdom and established colonies there. Furthermore, they took most coastal cities in the South, but could advance no further inland due to the Merchant's clans meddling and my own."

Bumi smiled at him. "Traveling North to master waterbending, I take it?" Aang nodded, seeing no need to elaborate. Bumi held up his left index finger.

"I recommend you travel north, on _foot_, to the town of Méi De. I will give you an escort of eathbenders, all trained and hardened warriors. The town is currently under control of the Fire Nation, but their hold is weak." He held up his right index finger.

"Once you have liberated the town you can push through to the port of Shan Shanzhai undisturbed. I recommend you take down the messenger tower at Méi De first, lest they get a message out. That would hinder your progress greatly." He held up his right pinky.

"The port is owned by a friend of mine, a merchant. He can procure fast ships for you to travel north on." He finished.

Aang nodded, but was confused about several things. "Why on foot? Walking sucks. And why take out the message tower? Word's going to spread anyway, right?"

Bumi nodded. "Very observant, young avatar. Yes, word is going to spread anyway. But word of mouth travels slower than word of hawk. By the time the Fire Nation realizes you did this, you'll be long gone, _unless_ they get a hawk out. Then, it will a lot faster. Going on foot is for the same reason. You don't want to draw attention to yourself. A Flying Bison is rather hard to miss, Aang."

Aang nodded, seeing the sense in it. "How much time do I have?" He asked the king.

"All the time in the world!" Bumi replied, grinning. "It won't hurt to let the Earth Kingdom know that the Avatar is back, just make sure you keep moving when you have revealed yourself. Perhaps a change of clothing is in order… but we'll see to that tomorrow. Now, of to bed with you! Children should be in bed early!" He waved Aang off.

Aang felt nothing for a change of clothing, but he could always complain about it in the morning. He bowed to the king and turned. "'night, Bumi." He called over his shoulder.

"Aang." Bumi called out after him. He turned back to face the elder.

"This world may seem horrible and cruel compared to the world you left, but even in your greatest enemies there is good. _Listen _to them as you listened to me, and you will achieve much. Mourn the world you lost, but know that it's _not_ _gone_." The king walked over and tapped the bald boy's head.

"It's in here." He said, then tapped Aang's chest. "And here. Don't forget that."

Aang sniffed, tears rolling from his eyes. "I never asked for this, Bumi. Everything I was ever taught tells me to remain detached from this world, to let it sort itself out, but every Avatar that ever existed is waiting for me when I fall asleep, telling me that I must marshal the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe and wage war on the Fire Nation. I'm a _monk!_ _Not_ a warlord!" He sniffed, not caring if it made him look like a kid.

The old king embraced him, letting him sob into his robe. "Aang, remember this: _you _are the Avatar. _You _decide how to handle the balance in the world, or what that balance even _means_." He stood back, gripping Aang by the chin and turning his face up. "It is a great burden you have been settled with Aang. But it is yours to decide what to do with it."

"But" Aang protested, sobbing. "If I don't do something the Fire Lord is going to use the Comet to destroy the balance forever! Roku told me!"

"He _doesn't know that, _Aang. None of us, not even the spirits, are gifted with knowing the future. That Roku presumes otherwise only shows why he failed to stop the war in the first place." Bumi told him, firmly. "Now, off to bed with you. There is much to be done, but for today there is nothing you can do. Sleep."

Aang nodded. "Th-thank you, Bumi." He told the old man.

The king smiled at him. "You're not alone in this Aang. Never alone. Sleep well."

((*))

A/N: I hope you liked Bumi. He's difficult to write. I mean, I'm halfway insane by most standards, but not randomly so like Bumi. :p

Mei De means _coal_. It refers, obviously, to Haru's town.

Shan Shanzhai means _mountain cottage._ It refers to the port town in 'the storm.' Small homes were built into the mountainside so…

**IMPORTANT: One reviewer pointed out that it makes no sense fot he Air Nomads to do such a thing. They respect life, right? Yes, indeed. Of course! But it's AZULA giving the history lesson here! She's a nationalistic princess, who comes from a Nation which, in canon, tampers with the history taught at their schools to make them look better and their enemies worse.** **Azula is, frankly, a totally unreliable source. Don't think this is the whole story, and DON'T asume that what Azula's saying is true. Azula always lies, right? **


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I've had some worried reviews about the Fire Nation getting a bit too good and strong. I don't want to spoil you guys, but for the sake of your reading pleasure (which is kinda what this writing thing is all about) I will say this: you gotta put them on a pedestal before you can knock them off of it. And I _will_. *insert author grinning evilly.* What? I like the Fire Nation and I'm rooting for them. Doesn't mean I have to make it easy. Doesn't mean they have to win.

Thank you for sticking around so far and hope you will stick around. Last posts constructive criticism reviews really helped. Hoping for more. :)

((*))

Zuko laid the message back down on his desk and rubbed his temple. He sighed loudly.

"You sigh more than Miss Stick, Sparky." Toph remarked from her spot on his cot, referring to Mai. She was feeding that lemur he had found at the Air Temple.

He grunted in reply. "My strategy proposal has been overruled by Fire Lord Iroh. Apparently, he thinks it best that the Avatar never reaches the North Pole at all. He is either to be captured, or killed, before he gets there. What is that old fool thinking?" Zuko replied. And why had he brought Toph along from Gaoling again?

'_I need to get out. My parents won't mind me spending some time with a potential suitor. Besides, I don't take up a lot of space.'_ Ah yes, that was her reasoning.

Toph shrugged. "So? What's it to you?"

"Several things, actually." Zuko ticked them of on his fingers. "One: the Avatar is in the Southern Earth Kingdom. That's _my _jurisdiction _._Iroh has no say here." Well, officially he _did_. But he'd given Zuko his word not to interfere. Did his word become invalid when they disagreed on strategy? "Two: it makes no sense to chase him down now. Even if we do press him into a corner, he'll just activate the Avatar State and we're done for. We don't have the means to contain him. At the Norht Pole, we will."

He still remembered the Southern Air Temple clearly. He had to take shelter from the storm with Shaw, but he kept his spyglass fixed on the Avatar. From that distance he could see the signs of the Avatar Sate, glowing and all, but he also saw the Avatar's companions clinging on for dear life. Sign number one for and untrained Avatar.

His suspicion had been confirmed as he got closer and met the Avatar. But a boy, no more than thirteen at most. He _couldn't _have been trained. That and his outburst sealed the deal. The kid was obviously under severe emotional stress (Ozai had taught him to read the signs) and in an untrained Avatar, that triggered the Avatar State. If the scrolls were true, which they usually were when Iroh offered them as reading material.

They could not risk man over such a loose cannon, they had to confront him where _wouldn't get away_. Which was _not _all over the Earth Kingdom. Trying to capture him there would just mean unnecessary death to their loyal troops.

Toph shrugged again. "Your uncle's a pretty famous general, right? You don't think he has a point?" She was saying, turning her head in his direction, eyes unseeing.

Zuko snorted. "More a senile old man these days. He writes that the North Pole is the _last_ place we want to corner the Avatar. Where else then? Ba Sing Se?" He threw up his hands. "It makes no sense!" He exclaimed.

Toph was silent for a moment, listening and waiting. At length she simply asked "So, are you gonna take that crap from him, or are you going to do something about it?" She smirked at him, ever the rebel.

Zuko rose from his seat and pulled the pin from his topknot and pulled off the headpiece. He walked over to a chest, opened it, and placed it there. Then, he started taking of his armor.

"What are you doing?" Toph asked, curiously. She could probably hear no more than him moving about.

"Changing into clothing more befitting of an Earth Kingdom citizen. If uncle is going to risk loyal man to capture the Avatar, which will only result in him activating the Avatar State and death, then I have to stop him."

Toph had a very surprised look on her face. "You mean, like, deserting?" She asked, stunned.

"Yes. I'm going to find the Avatar and help him stay out of Fire Nation hands until he reaches the Norht Pole. _Then_ we can have at him to our hearts content." He answered her, bandaging up the left side of his face to hide his scar. That done, he ran a hand through his bangs so they would partially conceal his eyes.

"Isn't your crew going to have issues with that?" She was saying.

He brushed her comment off. "My crew is loyal to _me _before Iroh. They signed up to serve the 'Young Dragon,' not to serve the Fire Lord."

"…I'm going with you." Toph told him as he donned tight black clothing.

"No, you're not." He told her firmly as he pulled on a sleeveless dark green robe over the blacks, tied at the waste with a white sash. "I'm not risking you in this. If I'm discovered, it's bad. If you get caught, it's _worse_."

"Then we won't get caught." Toph stood and walked over to him. Two weeks on this Dragon's Fang had taught her to find the earth in metal, and so she could see aboard his ship. She couldn't bend it, though. Not yet.

Toph stopped just shy of him, smirking up at him. "Give it up, Sparky. You're not going to get all the fun by yourself." Zuko considered protesting further, but if he went without her she'd just follow. He'd rather have her where he could see her.

He sighed. "There you go again." She teased.

He ignored the jab. "Very well, you can come. Put on that outfit you always wear for Earth Rumble, but leave the champion's belt. I don't need people recognizing you by it."

She fist pumped the air. "Victory for the blind girl!" She cheered, running out of the room.

He sighed again. _Well, no helping it. _He left the cabin as well in search of Mai. They'd be making port to resupply in Shan Shanzhai in an hour. They'd jump ship there and he needed to leave some orders behind for Mai to follow and he need to say goodbye to Shaw.

((*))

"So, how do you know where the Avatar is?" Toph asked as they passed the outskirts of the port town, a small bag slung over her shoulders. His bag was slightly larger, but then, it had to be able to store his dao swords.

"I don't know, but I can guess." He answered her. "Mai's been keeping track of the Avatar for me. A week ago, Mei De, a mining village to the south, was supposedly taken by the Avatar, some water tribe warriors and a score of earthbenders." He moved them off the road, into the forest. Toph didn't mind. There was nothing quite like the sounds and smells of a forest. In the depth of winter, they had an almost haunted feel about them, being so quiet. And cold. Good thing Sparky kept her warm.

"The strange thing is, there have been no sightings of a Flying Bison north of Omashu. But if the Avatar is traveling with a score of earthbenders, he could be taking routes only a local would know and keep the flying to a minimum. We have our eyes on the sky, so he goes by ground."

Toph mulled on that for a moment. It made sense, but…

"So where just going south in the hope of finding him? You know, 'south of here' is pretty big. We _might_ just miss him." Toph told him, rolling her eyes. She'd pecked Zuko as a smarter guy than this.

"What, you're telling me that your feet would miss a ten ton bison and a score of earthbenders?" He asked her.

Why, that sly fox. "Do you plan these things in advance, or just make them up as you go along?" She remarked with her driest voice. She felt his amusement.

"If there is anything Zhao taught me, it's 'use every available resource.' So, my lady, where to?" He asked her.

She muttered "Lazy opportunist" to him before taking him by the arm and dragging him.

"This way feels pretty right." She told him. Snuggling into him. If anyone where to accuse her of getting chummy, she'd deny it. She was just cold and he was warm.

…who was she kidding?

((*))

Liberating Earth Kingdom village, check. On the move to port village, check. Managed to avoid capture and gruesome death at Fire Nation hands, check. So far, Sokka wasn't seeing the downside.

"I like how this is going." He grinned at Katara walking beside him. She smiled back.

"Yeah, isn't it great? And Aang's been so cheerful these last two weeks, it makes me sleep a little easier." Katara told him, looking at the chipper Air Nomad adoringly.

Sokka nodded, knowing what she meant. Aang had been a wreck between the Soutern Air Temple and Omashu. It was only after a talk with the King that Aang got back into his usual fun self.

Four days of travel north had them at the mining village, which they quickly liberated. Backed by twenty of Bumi's finest earthbenders and the Avatar, it had been a stroll in the park.

What's better, they found the location of the prison rig the local earhtbenders had been brought to. When they reached Shan Shanzhai, ten of the earthbenders would sail of with them, the other half would sail for this rig, free those earthbenders and bring them home.

Now, with only three days travel to the port, Sokka was exited. It wasn't much yet, but it was as good a start as any in beating the Fire Nation.

"Helloooo, people!" Came a call from in front of them all. The earthbenders immediately readied themselves for battle while Aang and Katara just looked around bewildered.

Sokka spotted the noise-maker: a small girl in Earth Kingdom dress walking up to them with a man in tow. The man's head was wrapped in white cloth, and his gloves covered his hands. Not a patch of skin visible on this one. A lemur had made its home on top of his head.

The girl, on the other hand, might as well have been dressed for spring with her calf length green pants and short sleeves. She didn't seem to mind the cold at all though. When they got closer, Sokka could feel why.

The guy had heat rolling of him in waves, easily keeping any chill at bay. _Firebender_, Sokka concluded. Beside him Katara was pulling the cork of her water skin, her eyes filled with loathing. Bumi had imparted them with a waterbending scroll from his library when they left, and both Aang and Katara had mastered its contents. This could get ugly, fast.

Sokka grabbed her wrist before she could bend. 'not yet' he mouthed to her, then he turned to face the strangers. "What do you want?" He asked. They had already seen the Appa, so they would have to come along anyway, lest they spread the word. It was only a matter of if they would come willingly.

"LEMUR!" Was all he heard before Aang rushed past him, stopping right in front of the firebender. Sokka face palmed. _Survival sense of a male widow seal._

"What's his name?" Aang had directed the question at the man, but it was the girl who answered with a smirk. "Momo." She grinned, then turned back to Sokka. It was then he noticed her eyes weren't focusing.

"Does mr. Avatar need an earthbender?" She asked cockily.

Sokka glanced at the score they got from Bumi. "Well, not exactly. We've got plenty. You guys are free to tag along though." Please get the hint. The girl's smirk widened.

"Let's see who's tagging along with who." She told them, then she stomped her foot and the world shook.

((*))

The cool night wind washed over his bare chest, and he shuddered. Not from cold though, but anticipation.

They'd been getting reports of people disappearing from the village of Hi Suiren during the full moon for years now, but never had investigations led to any results. The locals blamed the spirits. Iroh suspected human malice.

Thus, Ozai found himself in the famed fire lily fields on the night of the full moon, waiting for the danger to find him. _A pity the fields are devoid of their flowers in this time of year. _He recalled a time when he would write poems in which he would resemble the fire lily's beauty to that of his wife. He hid them away in a chest, for fear of being laughed at by her. When she did find them, she demanded he'd read one to her every single night until he'd gone through them all.

Some would say she wanted him to read those poems because she wanted to hear of her own beauty, but he knew she just liked the sound of his voice.

"I see Azulon's legacy has come to finish what they started." A voice called from behind him. He turned to find the old woman that took care of the inn he was staying in, Hama.

"No." He told her. "Azulon's legacy would have you imprisoned and tortured to death, slowly. I am not so cruel." _Liar liar _a young child's voice sang and golden eyes flashed through his head. _You're not so cruel, you're crueler, child killer._

He banished the accusing voice from his thoughts. _Focus_, he told himself. "What have you done to the others you took?" He demanded of her, taking his stance.

She cackled loudly and pointed towards the mountain. "Under there, not that you'll ever see them. You'll end _here_." And with that she pulled the water out of the air and flung it at him in the form of ice shards. He unleashed a giant burst of flame to vaporize it before it hit.

"Give up, you're out of you league." He told her. _Liar liar,_ the child sang again. She was obviously a skilled waterbender, it was a full moon and on top of that it was _winter, _the season of waterbenders. "Such parlor tricks might pass for bending in the Water Tribes, but not here. Not in this glorious nation." Make her mad, make her sloppy. Anger is a weapon in your opponents hands. _Give me a weapon._

The smile she sent his way was only half angry. The other half was cunning. With a clawing motion of her arms, his were wrenched behind his back and his knees gave out under him. Struggling past the surprise and fear, he managed to free his left arm and lob a fireball her way. She blocked it by sucking water out if the very plants to form a wall.

Then his freed arm pressed painfully close to his chest, his hand shaking uselessly at his jaw line. She walked over, smiling victoriously.

"Give it up. You're out of your league." She mocked as she came to a halt before his kneeling form. She cackled, loudly. She never saw him extend his left middle and index finger in her direction.

She only heard the crackle of lightning when it had already struck her.

((*))

_They were okay. _Aang decided, watching Lee and Lin by the river while he himself was feeding Momo some berries. _Weird, but okay._

Lee was trying to catch a fish with a pointy stick, failing. Every time he groaned in annoyance, Lin laughed at him.

They were an odd pair. Lin had defeated all twenty earthbenders with them in under ten minutes the first day they met. Lee had just stood there, watching it happen with no sign of surprise. Sokka was more than happy to tag along with them after that.

Turned out that Lee was just about mute, though. He could talk, but his voice was so soft it took Lin's ears to hear him. Furthermore, Lin had told them, Lee's body was riddled with scars he preferred to hide from the world.

Katara had been mistrustful of the firebending colonial, and just as much of a small earthbending girl traveling with him, but that had subsided over the last two days of travel. Now, the third day was just starting and they'd reach Shan Shanzhai in the early afternoon.

An explosion from the river and breathless laughter pulled him from his musings.

It seemed Lee had exploded and now it was raining semi-fried fish. Lin was wiping tears from her eyes. "You got one!" She exclaimed with one of the aquatic vertebrates in her lap. "I'm so proud of you!" Lee stomped out of the river, muttering something to her.

"Breakfast is served!" She cried out and dug into the fish. Aang turned away, his teachings ringing through his head. _You shall not partake in death._

He broke his own fast on some nuts and fruits stored in his own bag. Watching the other people eat, he gauged this as good a time as any to act. When their newest companions were done, he called them.

"Lin, Lee, can a talk to you? It won't take too long." He already started walking toward the riverbed before they could even answer. The large, hooded brown robe that Bumi has given him to cover his robes and arrow made him clumsy, as it often got entangled with anything it touched, and the fingerless cloves were itchy. _But they are necessary_. He reminded himself, as he did every morning.

Reaching the riverbed, he sat down on one of the large rocks and gestured for the other two to sit on the one across from him. Lin didn't see that (and Aang mentally smacked himself for being so inconsiderate) but Lee did and pulled her down with him.

Aang wasted no time. They had none to waste. "You're from the colonies, right? Were you taught in history?" Lee looked at him through one shining gold eye, before nodding in affirmation.

"Tell me, what does the Fire Nation mean by 'the Act'?" He asked the man. _Listen to your enemy. _Bumi had told him. Lee was no enemy, but he knew of them. Or at least, Aang hoped he did.

Lee was motionless for a moment, then moved towards Lin and whispered something in her ear. As he whispered, she talked.

"The 'Act' is short for 'Act of Retribution.'" She told him. "It's about a time when a lot of people in the Fire Nation broke the terms set during the… Third Storm War? Am I saying that right? Yeah, the Third." She finally nodded in Aangs general direction. "Because they did that, the Air Nomads saw fit to… no, freaking, _way_." Her complexion became slightly paler. She swallowed hard and continued.

"They made a huge storm that tore through most of the Fire Nation, killing almost half its population. That's what they mean by 'The Act.'" She finished.

"But…" Aang started. "That's not true!" He exclaimed. "When was this?" He asked them. With some solid dates he might be able to do more. Gyatso had been very fond of history, and was always keen to tell his student of it. Perhaps this was all a big misunderstanding. It _had _to be.

"Twenty-three BSC." Toph told him. At his silence, Lee whispered another thing to her. "That means 'before Sozin's comet', by the way."

Aang was cracking the numbers in his head. Air Nomads counted their years by how long it had been since the temples had been founded. When he was born, that had been about two-hundred and seven years ago. He was born in twelve BSC, so that meant this all had taken place in the one-hundred and ninety-sixth year after the Temples founding…

His eyes widened and his breath hitched. That was- "The Time of the Flickering Flame…" He said, breathless. Of course! What else could it be!

"The what?" Lin asked, but he hardly heard her. Gyatso had told him never to tell the other nations, because then they would never trust us anymore-

_The world you knew is gone. _The Temples where gone. What was he to do now-

"Earth to Aang!" Was all heard before a pebble hit him in head. That snapped him out of it alright.

"Sorry." He muttered, mind still awhirl. He shook his head to clear and turned to his companions.

"This is all wrong. The temples didn't make that storm, Pembawa Cahaya and his followers did. They weren't part of the Temples." Aang told them. He saw Lee's visible eye narrow. He murmured something to Lin.

"According to the Fire Nation records, there were Airbenders riding the storm. Airbenders the Fire Nation _knew _belonged to the Temples." She said. Then turned to Lee. "For real? That's pretty nasty." She remarked.

"Yeah," Aang started. "There were. They were trying to stop it." He spoke sadly and rose as someone approached them.

"Time to move on." Shifu told them. Beside the King's attendant, he was also the strongest earthbender in Omashu, right after the King himself and thus he lead the earthbenders they borrowed from Bumi. "Everything all right here?" He asked them.

"No it's not!" Lin exclaimed. "This was just getting good! We'll leave in half an hour or something." She waved him off. Shifu bristled.

"Listen here, little girl. I'm in charge of this mission, so where are going _now_." He told her in no uncertain terms.

Lin smirked at him and cracked her knuckles. "You feel in charge?" She asked him and Aang saw Shifu swallow. It was only when Lee placed a hand on her shoulder that she did as Shifu bid.

"Oh you're no fun." She muttered to the silent man, then jabbed a finger in Aang's direction. It missed him by a meter, so Lee reached out and readjusted the angle of her arm so that it did point at him. "Thanks." She muttered, before her voice rose.

"This conversation is _not over,_ got it?"

"Got it." Aang reassured her, slightly bemused. "Let's go."

((*))

A/N: Zuko's disguise and mute playing should be for obvious reasons, and Ozai's battle was not randomly implemented. Just saying.

No, I did not in fact forget about Momo. :P

I hope this explained how Zuko concluded all those things about Aang and the Avatar State. Zuko may be brash, but he is not stupid. Watch and learn, eh?

Yeah, didn't expect him to do _that_, did you? Deserting, pfff. Bad Zu-Zu. :P

Zuko, in canon, rarely thinks his actions through before he does them. This can have both good and bad results. You'll see which in a while. :P

You know, I always keep a map of the Avatar world at hand when I write this story. I don't want to make the oddity of what (for example) Embers did when Zuko made a colony near the Northern Air Temple and was attacked by general Fong. Why? Because his fortress was 'around the corner.' I may have missed something, But Fong's fortress is about half the world to the south. I do NOT want to write something like that. There will be slight changes and errors of course, but nothing of THAT magnitude.

So, Aang thickens the Air genocide plot blame game! What? You thought Azula knew it all? Read the authors note I added the previous chapter. It should clear a thing or two up.

Let me know what you think, 'kay? :D


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hope to break the 100-110 review mark with this.

heads up! This chapter will contain a degree of randomness (cause being serious all the time is dull).

Furthermore, for this story's sake, the Fire Nation colonies/conquered sites in the Earth Kingdom will include all of the North-west part of the continent. This continent is the one that is separated from the bulk of the Earth Kingdom by a narrow strait that branches from the Western Lake tot the Northern Sea. Sites such as Aunt Wu's village and the Abbey will be under Fire Nation control in this.

((*))

As Zuko dodged another projectile he could not help but wonder, how did he get into this mess?

Surveying the carnage around him, the people laying on the ground, some groaning, some laughing, some _not moving at all_, his mind went back to just a few hours earlier, when everything had been _fine_.

Entering the port village had been a quiet affair. They'd boxed Appa in a stone cart that hid the bison from view. It was the same sort of cart, Shifu told them, that was used to transport valuable cargo. Zuko had feared that a cart with 'valuable cargo' might attract too much attention from unsavory types, but Shifu had assured them all that not even the boldest thief in Shan Shanzhai would dare to try and rob them with twenty earthbenders guarding it.

It worked like a charm. As Appa was being loaded onto the ship, Shifu told them he had to meet Bumi's merchant contact, and would be back for them.

"_Go and find the food district. Shan Shanzhai is famous for its restaurants." _He'd said. It seemed like nothing hazardous at the time. How wrong he'd been.

As they approached a square with a fountain in the middle, the real trouble started.

"_They got a vegetarian restaurant!" Aang exclaimed, adjusting his bandana and scarf to hide his arrows. "Let's go eat there!"_

"_No way!" Sokka spoke up. "There's an all meat restaurant on the other side of the square! We'll eat there!"_

"_But Sokka, Aang doesn't eat meat!" Katara told her brothter. Sokka rolled his eyes. "Then he can go and eat in that wimpy veggie-thing of his. I'm going to the meat!"_

"_Yeah Twinkeltoes! Veggies are for wimps!" Toph, ever eager to enflame a problem rather than solve it._

_Katara gasped. "How can you say that? That's hurtful!" She jabbed and angry finger at __**Sokka**__, to Zuko's amusement._

"_Yeah snoozles! Meatheads are rude!" Toph exclaimed. Zuko's palm met his forehead._

"_I'll show you rude!"Sokka grabbed a fish from a nearby vendor and threw it. It hit Aang in the face. Aang turned beet red and picked up a pie on display at the vegetation restaurant. _

_The battle was on._

((*))

_Only then will you understand your brother's pain._

A fist of flame hit her face.

Azula gasped awake, clutching her face. When she realized her face was intact, she drew a shuddering breath.

"…again?" A soft voice to her left said. She looked through teary eyes at Miki, who had crawled over to where she lay. He cupped her cheek.

"It can't hurt you here." He told her gently. She wanted to smack him. Of course it couldn't hurt her here. Who did that idiot think she was?

She slapped his hand away and sat up. She moved out of her sleeping bag and walked to a nearby stream to wash her face. It wouldn't do to let the men see her weakness.

"I don't need you to tell me what can and cannot hurt me." She told him harshly. _Perhaps harsher than I should…_ she killed the thought as she felt Agni's rays on her. She didn't need anything but that. After washing her face she addressed him again. "Get the men up. We're moving out."

Miki sighed and threw a small ball from his belt into the sky. She shot a small fireball at it. The bomb exploded. Loudly.

It took precisely one-point-eight seconds for her men to be on their feet, bows and knives at the ready. She smirked.

"At ease gentleman. We're moving out. Pack your gear." They did so, obediently.

Jumping from branch to branch an hour later, Azula mentally prepared herself for the task ahead.

Gaipan had been flooded a two days ago. The damage was great and military support was needed to aid the survivors. That was being done already, it was Azula's job to find the one responsible.

She wasn't about to believe that the sighting of a northern Water Tribe ship heading for the Clawcut Bays in the North four days ago, the sudden filling of Gaipan's water reservoir, and a dam blowing up when she'd been hearing reports on stolen blasting jelly for months was all _coincidence_.

She'd find them, she'd burn them (_slowly_, a voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Miki's pointed out) and then she'd take the survivors to Pouhai Stronghold for interrogation. Their torturers in training needed someone to practice on, after all.

((*))

As the battle between vegetarians and honest meat eaters raged on over the square, Toph was having the time of her life. She'd joined the meatheads, of course, because she loved the sound a fish made as it hit home. Pies were only funny if you could _see_ them hit. And _someone _had to pay for all the meat they threw. Toph needed only throw three gold coins the storeowners way and the man was all for it.

That there was an ongoing rivalry between the two restaurants didn't hurt either.

"We need more firepower!" Sokka yelled, ducking into hastily dug trenches. Curiously enough, their earthbender escort had joined the fray and divided themselves evenly between the veggies and the meaties, and was quick to treat the small square like a real war zone.

'As good a training as any.' One had told her as they dug themselves in. The veggies had done the same.

Toph stomped her foot and held her horse stance. Then, she slowly shifted her hips and turned her feet inwards, face concentrated. She stomped her foot again and three stone catapult popped out of the ground.

Beside her she heard Sokka squeal with delight. "I'm so glad we added you to the group!" And proceeded to whisper sweet nothings to the nearest catapult. Toph snickered.

"They still need some rope to work." She told the boy. Mai, aka, Miss Stick-in-the-mud, had been kind enough to explain the mechanics of any and all projectile weapons known on to man when they were sharing a ship together.

She'd _never_ tell the girl that it turned out to be useful, though.

"Got it, Lin." Sokka replied. "Get me rope and a big ham! We got to make this baby work!" He yelled to some of the citizens that had joined their cause.

"The hams are being fetched! It'll take a few minutes!" One of the employee's of the meat restaurant yelled back. "But we got some life chickens!"

…this was getting better and better.

((*))

_Nah, that can't be a chicken._ Zuko thought, but as the feathery creature hit his head in an explosion of clucking fluffiness, he had to amend that. _Yeah. That was a chicken._

Picking the dazed bird of the ground and tucking it under his arm, he ducked into a nearby trench to avoid the onslaught of meat and pie-pieces. When ammunition ran low, both sides had taken to using what they could find, even the weapons of the enemy.

He brought the chicken to Katara for treatment. "We have a survivor!" She yelled to Aang as she was treating severe fishbone damage on one of their fallen comrades.

"My wife will never want me again if I smell like this!" Said comrade wailed.

"STRIKE!" Zuko heard Aang yell and when Zuko checked what the commotion was about he saw their earthbenders had launched the contents of a cabbage cart on their foes. Toph looked cute pouting like that, cabbages in her air and all.

"STOP THIS MADNESS!" A man's voice boomed as he popped out of the ground between the two fronts.

Shifu was not pleased, if his red face was anything to go by. "What are you, a bunch of kids?"

When Toph started to reply that, actually, they were, he cut her off. "_You_ be still! It's time for you to meet our merchant friend. He's waiting in the hangar. Come along!" He ordered.

The square was silent for a moment, but Zuko saw Toph's smirk and that twinkle in her sightless eyes. Glancing at Aang, he found a similar expression.

As the call for another salvo came, Shifu's eyes widened. He never stood a chance.

((*))

'_There you little rats are.'_ Azula thought as she laid eyes on the treetop hideout. Avoiding scouts as they approached the camp had been a tricky piece of work, but once they got the hang of it, it became much easier.

Their enemies used the sound of birds and rodents to communicate. A clever trick, were it not winter still. The birds they mimicked had all moved to the south-west for the winter, and the rodents they mimicked were hibernating. It was a small detail, but her Yuyan were trained to notice those. And they where far better trained at the art of stealth than these rats.

"They're just kids." Miki spoke beside her, his soft voice soothing and calm, but she could hear his discomfort. She snorted.

"These 'kids' just flooded a village and killed hundreds of our people." She told him, to all intends and purposes sounding like she was discussing the weather with him.

That much they had found as they watched the rats sit around for dinner. The leader had proposed a toast and congratulated the group on a 'job well done' and 'may it be the first of many victories.' It made Azula sick.

'_Kill my people again, will you? Not on my watch.'_

"Take aim." She told Miki. He made the sound of a swan sparrow, a bird that did not migrate from these parts, and she knew they had all picked a target from the group. Half the little monsters would be dead before they knew what hit them. The rest would soon follow or be captured, but not the leader. Azula looked forward to having a private interrogation session with the boy.

She whistled and arrows flew. Half of their enemy's forces died then and there. She jumped forward, Miki right behind her, and landed on the platform. As soon as she landed she was assaulted by the leader, using peculiar hook swords to try and kill her.

"The Fire Nation comes to stop us!" He exclaimed, eyes crazed. "They sneak because they fear us! And rightly so!" He made for her throat and she leaped backwards to avoid her, bringing her to the edge of the platform. All around her the Yuyan were engaged in fierce battle, but soon they would be done.

The leader charged her at full speed, end she thought him a fool for charging so fast towards the edge. She became more alert as she took in his hooks swords again. She rolled to the right and he shot by her, over the edge of the platform. It was a long drop.

'_Were it so easy.'_ Azula thought. She leaped onto her feet just in time to see him hook his swords around a branch and use his momentum to launch a flying kick toward her.

She crossed her arms to block it and she did, but the force of the impact knocked her backwards onto the platform. In a second, he loomed over her and held his blades ready for a finishing blow, eyes mad and smile wicked.

She was just about to torch him when a knife slid into his left kidney. He froze from the pain, and Miki pushed his advantage to disarm the boy and bring him to his knees before her.

Azula rose gracefully. "Perfect timing, Captain Miki." She told her friend. Then she looked around. Her Yuyan had killed most. Five had been captured, including the leader.

"We'll take them all for questioning. Search and shackle them." She told her Yuyan.

"We'll kill you!" The leader exclaimed furiously, sweating and panting hard, the wound on his side bleeding. "Just you wait!"

Azula smiled kindly to him and leaned down to whisper in his ear, but loud enough for all their captives to hear. "No, you won't. You'll come with us, you'll be questioned, and then when you've nothing left to tell us you'll be given to our torturers in training. It'll be messy, but they should learn faster with life specimen." She smiled sweetly still, watching her captives pale. She continued.

"After that, we'll hand you to the physicians in training. They'll try to stick you back together. They won't do a very good job, of course, but you won't hold that against them, will you? It'll be their first time." She turned away from him and starting walking away. "After that, who knows? Perhaps we could test some new chemical weapons on you. And when you're broken and bloody, of no more use, you'll have my leave to _die_."

Behind her she heard one of her captives retch and smiled.

((*))

Stepping over the body of a fallen veggie, Toph made for the no-man's-land between the two fronts, to where the pie-to-meat combat was being done. Armed with a fish in one hand and a cupcake in the other, she was ready to take on anything. But she had only one target in mind.

_Come on out, Sparky._

He ran to meet her and she judged by his added weight that he was armed as well. Her cupcake hit his leg hard when she threw it, but he persevered and jumped. Normally, she would not have known where to find him, but he jumped high enough to reach between her and the sun, casting her in the slight cool of shadow that her sensitive skin felt immediately.

_Nice try, but no._

She lashed out with her fish and hit his face with it, if the sounds was anything to judge by. She cried out in victory, only to have the sound muffled by a pie to the face. In her moment of distraction, he dump tackled her, taking them both into the shallow fountain.

When they emerged, stinking of fish, sopping wet and covered in pie, she was giggling madly. Sitting on the basin of the fountain, she could feel him containing his own laughter. She grabbed his hand.

"Thanks for bringing me along, Sparky." She grinned at him.

He let go of her hand, and for a moment she feared she'd pushed too hard, but when she felt his arm around her waist she knew it was okay. He pulled her into his lap and she was about to ask what he was doing when he kissed her.

It was chaste, it was short, it was sweet. When they parted, Toph decided it wasn't enough by half and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"Round two." She told him, licking her lips slowly. She felt his heartbeat pick up and she decided that next time she saw Ty Lee, aka Bubbles, she'd have to thank her for the tips.

He crashed their lips back together before she ever had the chance to do it for him.

((*))

"Isn't that the sweetest thing you ever saw?" Aang heard Katara ask amidst the pie-throwing.

"What is?" He asked, turning to look where she was pointing. He saw it soon enough and grinned.

_Well, they know how to make 'peace' alright. _

On the other side of the field, Sokka yelled at the pair. "Lin! What are you doing? He's the enemy!" Lin merely shrugged, never breaking her kiss with Lee. _Don't care. _

The owners of the two shops were sniffing, seeing the romance unfolding in the fountain as a sign that they should learn to coexist peacefully.

Aang looked around and noted that the fighting had died down and people were just talking to each other, laughing. If he bothered to look, he could see that sailors from all nations were talking as if there was no war at all. It was pretty hard to distinguish red from green and blue when everyone was covered in pie.

_A world I thought lost. _Aang mused, glad to see it.

Sokka, who had walked over to join him and Katara, shared his observation. "Perhaps we should turn this war into a food fight. Would solve all our problems." He remarked, sounding pretty serious about it. Halfway across the square, a man yelled.

"Nooooo! My cabbages!" The man sobbed.

"Not enough food around for something that big." Aang replied, ignoring the drama. Then gestured to the two in the fountain. "Should we tell them we're going to meet his merchant guy?"

Katara shook her head. "They know the way to the hangar. Lee's been here before, remember?" Right, Lee had told them as much. Or really, Lin had. "They'll find us when we're done." She concluded. Aang felt a warm hand grab his own. "Let's go." And she dragged him off to find Shifu and their escort.

((*))

"These are our ships." Shifu announced grandly. Sokka took them in with a critic's eye. The wood and rope seemed solid enough, a few taps confirmed it, but the large chains attached to metal rings in the wood left him slightly bemused. Rocks were attached to the other end of the chains.

He pointed with his boomerang. "What are those for?" He asked of Shifu. It was the merchant who provided the ships that answered.

"They are used to propel the boats." The man smiled kindly at them. He gestured to Shifu and the other members of their escort. "The chain is strong, so when an Earthbender bends the rock as if to throw it, the rock actually pulls the boat forward." He explained. "It's like an ostrich horse pulling a carriage."

"Or a polar dog pulling a sled…" Sokka mused. Made sense. Perhaps these Earth Kingdom guys weren't so weird after all. "How many will we be using again?" He asked their smiling benefactor.

"You will get three. Two to carry you to the Norht Pole… and one to take ten Earth Benders to a nearby prison rig." At the last bit his smile tightened a bit, but Sokka found that hardly surprising. _Taking his ships to the poles, and they'll be fine. Take them into enemy territory, and she may not come back._

Hakoda had always taught him how to read and haggle with merchants, and after he left Gran-Gran had not let him slack of either. His tribe depended, for a large part, on trade with the southern Earth Kingdom, after all. He knew they were costing the merchant much.

Beside him, Katara and Aang were verging on ecstatic. "Wow! With this we'll get to the North Pole in no time!" Aang exclaimed. Shifu shot him down.

"Don't get your hopes up. We still have heavy cargo. Appa can fly freely above the Badgermole Sea for a while, but as soon as we enter the Strait of Taku, he'll have to go below deck again. It'll be a week at best before we reach the pole, and that's with fair weather." Of which there was no guarantee, Sokka knew. Aang deflated.

"I guess you're right." He sighed. Then brightened again. "So when are we leaving?" He asked, excitedly.

"Tomorrow. Get a good night's sleep." Shifu answered stiffly and bowed deeply to the merchant. "We thank you for your aid, master Beifong." He said.

Lao Beifong bowed back, a shallow bow befitting his status, and replied. "Anything for my Kingdom, of course."

((*))

Zuko sat on his bed, cradling his head. _This is not going to be easy._ He thought. They had avoided meeting the man, but seen him from a distance. _Lao is in league with __**us**__._ That meant only one thing: this voyage was a trap, an ambush. Oh, of course the other option was Lao had gone over to the Avatar. Not likely, when he knew his precious daughter was with him.

The merchant's support was valuable, but the Fire Nation had a strong enough grip on the south by now. They _could_ manage without Beifong. It would just be a lot harder than with him. Lao knew that if he betrayed them to this degree, helping the _Avatar_, he'd have his daughter returned to him in pieces. At least, that's what the merchant thought.

Zuko would _never_ let Toph be harmed, and neither would Iroh.

_But Agni, what a mess. _If there was indeed a trap waiting for them, and there most likely was, it would be in the strait of Taku. The Strait of Sages, which they would pass through on their way to the marginal sea they'd have to cross, was too close to the Earth Kingdom shore still. The Avatar was much to likely to escape an ambush.

_He'll escape anyway. They didn't __see__ him. _He thought, remembering glowing eyes and a gale that could rip mountains to pieces.

So, if they were going to ambush them, it was going to be somewhere in the Strait of Taku, when he had nowhere to run but into Fire Nation territory. It was a good plan, but it put so many men at risk and _they_ _would_ _fail_. If the Avatar escaped into the colonies, thousands of colonials could be jeopardized.

Unless the Avatar went to the ruins of Taku, where no colonials lived and no people dared to go...

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Toph asked from his doorway, sliding the door shut behind her. Dressed in a soft lime green robe and with her hair down, she looked far more like a little girl than the warrior he knew she was. Hold on-

"You washed your hair?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. She shrugged in reply, though the way her nose crinkled told him of her irritation.

"Katara _insisted_ that I take a bath. Once there, she used waterbending to wash my hair." She put both her small hands into her raven mane. They disappeared completely. "Now I'm all soft and fluffy." She huffed.

_And so very kissable. _He thought before catching himself. _Bad prince. There's a reason she bunking with Katara, remember?_ Yeah, Katara insisting that they couldn't be trusted alone together, that would be the reason.

"So what are we going to do?" She asked as she sat down next to him on the soft bed. The inn had good beds, Zuko had to give them that.

"I don't know." He muttered to her. "We can't do anything right now." _Damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen! _"We'll just have to deal with it as it comes along and ensure that we are not captured." He finished, crossing his arms.

"What about Twinkletoes?" She asked him. "What if _he's_ captured?"

Zuko snorted. "Then Agni have mercy on them, because Aang will not." Toph was silent for a moment.

"He's a good kid, you know." She told him at length. "Hardly the walking nightmare you described him as."

Zuko rubbed his temple and sighed. "Yeah, he's okay. Aang is okay. The Avatar Spirit in him is the problem. And his past lives who, according to Fire Lord Sozin's personal records, can _whisper_ to an Avatar. _Influence_ him." Roku had told Sozin as much in person.

Toph yawned loudly. "Well, you're the plan guy, so I'll trust your judgment. For now. I'm just along for the fun." She grinned at him. "I'm going to bed." She announced, and lifted the covers of _his _bed and snuggled into the pillow, throwing the covers back on.

"Toph," He started, voice stern. "that's my bed. Your bed's with Katara, remember?"

She shrugged and pulled the covers over her head curling into ball. "You're bed is where your rump rests. Are you joining me or not?" She asked him. Though he could not see her face, he knew she was smirking.

"You know that's not proper, Toph." He told her, but the fight was draining out of him fast.

Toph snickered. "And has that stopped you before? C'mon, we've done this a hundred times, Sparky."

_That was when we were both children and just friends. Before we were betrothed._

_Before I kissed you._

But he did not have the heart to tell her no on this. "Move over squirt." He told her instead. She made a noise of protest at the nickname, but moved none the less.

As he laid down next to her, he placed his arms around her and she snuggled into his chest. When she reached up to touch his scar, he flinched. She ignored it and traced her fingers all over his face.

As she traced every inch of his deformation, he remembered the day he had gotten it. How Azulon had burned him.

_The man is dead and gone and your sister is alive because of your efforts. You did right._

But that would not give him back his face, would not stop him from flinching whenever he saw his reflection after he woke.

Would not stop the nightmares of fire and a small girl with golden eyes crumbling to ashes before him, and he could do _nothing_ _to stop it._

"Feels funny." Toph remarked, smiling slightly. He laughed softly and kissed her forhead.

Did she think less of him because he was deformed on the outside and cracked on the inside?

Of course not.

((*))

Ozai sat near the pond with the stars overhead. The moon was a small thing in the sky, not the great monolith he'd seen _that_ night. He had dreamed of the meadow again, dreamed of the feeling of something _other _moving beneath his flesh and the cackling of a mad puppeteer.

In his dreams, the creature he faced in that meadow wore the face of his father and the strings that moved him were made of fire.

"Father?" A small voice to the side asked and he turned his head. He smiled kindly, but he knew the child could see the weariness in his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Sozin?" He asked his son as the boy sat down beside him. _He looks so much like Zuko…_

The child bit his lip. "… did I do something wrong?" The lad asked, not meeting his eyes.

This caught him of guard. "What?" But then he remembered. Zuko and Azula had _always_ known when something was wrong. When he and Ursa had been fighting, they sensed the mood perfectly.

Zuko would avoid them both till it blew over.

Azula would drill herself to perfection, hoping her performance would make Ozai feel better. It usually worked.

Sozin, it seemed, was more direct.

"No, Sozin, you've done nothing wrong. I've just had some trouble sleeping lately… but nothing you did caused that." He patted the child on the shoulder. "Now, let's get you back to bed." He hoisted the child up and cradled him to his chest, carrying him back to his room.

His sleepless nights were not all the result of nightmares. Iroh knew Zuko's ship was touring the Lonely Sea, but he did not know was that Zuko was not on it. He'd dropped off the radar several days ago, when the ship made port in Shan Shanzhai, if his little birds were to be believed.

Tucking in his young child and singing a lullaby at his request, Ozai silently prayed to Agni that his other children were alright.

((*))

The voyage had been okay so far, despite the fact the she could see next to nothing on this wooden monster. Whenever she had the energy for it, she'd be pulling the boat forward with her bending. Knowing the rocks were there was enough for her to move them. When she was on a break from that, she returned to her cabin to be with Sparky. He liked this tub no more than she.

"_Wood burns." _He'd muttered as if that explained everything. It kind of did. When she was on duty, he came on deck to bask in the sun, 'absorbing Agni's rays', and when she was done he'd follow her to the cabin she shared with Katara or she would go to the one he shared with Sokka.

Katara and Sokka were mostly on deck, taking in the sights of the Strait of Sages and the Badgermole Sea, but Aang spend most of his time below deck with Appa. He comforted the giant when he had to stay inside and flew with him when they got to open sea.

Sparky was still anxious for a trap. Toph thought he was overreacting. Her father was a _merchant_. Telling the King of Omashu _no _was not the best way to go about trade. He had to obey, because a lot of the Beifongs wealth resided in Omashu.

Carrying all the gold they owned around would be a pain, and not very safe either. So, most merchants in the south stored their wealth in fortified cities such as Omashu. The city would keep it safe (charging a small fee, of course). When they needed to transfer wealth, they would sign a check and give it to the recipient. They would send it to Omashu and there the city would transfer the wealth from one family vault to the other.

Angering King Bumi? Sure ticket to bankruptcy, or as close as you could get to it when you're name was Beifong.

"C'mon Sparky, stop moping." She told him on the fifth day of travel as they sailed through the Strait of Taku. "Nothing is going to happen, and if it does? Aang won't blow up, he'll just fly away. He told us, he doesn't want to fight." She grinned in his general direction. He was having none of it.

"If he flies off, we'll have him about in our _colonies_." He stressed the word. "That's what we're trying to _prevent_." He finished with a hiss.

"No, we're trying to get him to the _North Pole_." Toph answered. "Which is exactly where he'll fly to if he has to run." Toph crossed her arms stubbornly. He hissed at her and she felt steam in the air.

"No one ever bothered to draw a map in the sand for you, I see." He growled.

_That. Hurt._ She bit back her venom but her stance became far more tense. He continued.

"It is still far to the pole. He'll have to rest. On the east bank of the strait are our supply lines, which lead to our main force assembling on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. We don't want him flying there, because the men guarding the lines will have the means to _corner_ him, not capture but corner, and _make him glow_. Bye-bye supply lines." He told her mock-merrily.

She punched him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She hissed. She'd never heard her Sparky this bitter, this _scared._

He sighed. She heard him ground his teeth together. "On the west bank, there are the ruins of Taku. A cursed place, avoided by both Fire and Earth. If he flees there, we are all at risk." She heard his hair rustle as he ran a hand through it. "On top of that, the area is under the protection of Pouhai Stronghold west of it."

Toph's eyes widened. "That's-" Zuko laughed, bitterly, sounding half a sob.

"That's where my sister is in command. When she learns the Avatar is on her turf, she'll go and fight him." His voice muffled slightly, and she guessed he'd buried his head in his hands. "We'll be in one of the most cursed places on this world, my little sister will come _running to it_ and she has more than the means to make Aang glow." He told her.

She placed her hands on his face. It was wet. "My little sister will fight the most dangerous being on the planet while being in the most accursed place said planet has to offer." He stifled a sob. It was at times like this that Toph was reminded that for all his training and status, Zuko was as much a kid as she.

"It'll be fine." She told him, gently as she could in her coarse way. "Perhaps there is not trap at all-" A horn sounded and she cursed the spirits.

((*))

As Zuko heard the warhorn, he felt his world shake. _It's starting. _He thought. He grabbed his affects and covered himself up. When he and Toph reached the deck, he saw that the way ahead had been blocked by metal ships, all of them larger than their two vessels put together. Momo chirped with fear above them.

But it wasn't the ships that made his blood chill. It was the man who looked down on them from the bow of the nearest ships, smirking.

_Zhao._ Zuko thought, and concluded that the spirits hated him after all.

((*))

Pakku waited patiently on his ship, looking out over the vast expanse of water and icebergs. Soon, his pupil would return from the south and regale him of the latest developments in Earth Kingdom.

_So, will the Avatar be coming north or not?_

It was then that a ship appeared form behind an iceberg and came to meet his own, the men aboard dressed in blue. As the ship came to a halt beside Pakku, a man in leaped from the other boat and landed before the waterbending master with soft thump and a flourish.

"Report." He told the young man curtly.

The man bowed slightly and started. "My men and I have successfully aided the freedom fighters in the colonies in flooding the town of Gaipan." He stated matter-of-factly. "Furthermore, we still do not know what happened to the Avatar after the liberation of Mei De. We assume he's still heading north, but have no way to be sure." The pupil looked Pakku in the eye and smiled chillingly. "And our allies told us an interesting piece of news."

Pakku quirked an eyebrow, face unchanging and tone drier than the Si Wong Desert. "Unless they have told you how to transfer the information through that smile of yours, I suggest you start talking, Yakone."

Yakone mock sighed in reply, and continued. "It's all over the colonies. It seems the Master of State, prince Ozai, has killed a waterbender in the Fire Nation. A southern Water Tribe woman named Hama."

Pakku wondered where this was going, so he motioned for the man to keep talking.

"It appears she had been making people disappear on night's with full moon for years, using _waterbending_." The man's smile turned into a smirk. "She bend the fluids in her victim's bodies to impose her will on them, or so the survivors claim."

Pakku was very interested now. "And this art is called…?"

Yakone licked his lips, hungrily, and uttered a single word with near reverence.

"_Bloodbending_."

((*))

No people or animals (this includes chickens) were harmed during the making of this chapter. I cannot deny the brutal destruction of cabbages, however.

Sorry for the wait dear readers. Words came with difficulty. Some fluff in this chapter, I felt I owed it to you after these last two serious chapters.

Zuko's fear for Azula and his nightmares aren't rational, I know. Zuko doesn't fear things right in front of him. In canon, I've seldom seen him cower for anything. He does, however, fear things that _might _happen. I tried to work with that.

About Toph's feelings about the war, since some of you may be wondering about that: What I get from Toph in canon is that she's completely indifferent to the state of the world. Why?

When Aang first asked her at Earht Rumble to teach him she brushed him off. No biggie, she didn't know who he was. Second time Katara had a big moral speech, she told them it 'wasn't her problem.' Her parents _won't_ let her help the Avatar though it is better for the world. And when she does join Aang, it's for _adventure_. _Never_ to save the world. Conclusion? Toph simply doesn't care. She tagging along with Zuko now cuz she likes him and she wants some fun. Never wrote that she believed in the moral importance of what he did though.  
This may seem blunt, but where I come from, we have a long history of moral and religous indifference because we were a nation of oppertunistic merchants. We didn't care what you believed or who you ruled, as long as you didn't bother our trade. I think Toph and her parents have a similar attitude.

I think that experiencing bloodbending is pretty traumatic. I see no reason why Ozai should get of unharmed mentally. He will get over it, in time, but so soon after the ordeal I feel obliged to write some nightmares for him. As for bloodbending in general, I hope the Hama scene makes a little more sense now. I try to keep it clear for my readers, but sometimes things just won't make sense. At first.

I promised in the summary, didn't I? It'll make sense in the end.

For my reviewers: All nine of you who reviewed, my thanks. :D your reviews (with good constructive criticism) really help me. Keep it up please! :)

To all over two-hundred people who read the chapter, but did not review: Come on, ladies and gentleman! I have so far spend 40.000 words for _your_ pleasure. Can't you spare a _few_ for mine?

Till next time!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I had hoped to reach somewhere between the 100 and the 110 reviews with the previous chapters. I reached the 101, so I am a happy man. :D A pity though, that out of the over 300 people who read this only 9 reviewed (9 kind reviews, all of which I appreciate immensely).

You see my dear readers, I _don't_ ask for reviews to stroke my ego. Reviews are _feedback_ that help me keep the story healthy and well. _Feedback_ is more important and useful than simple praise.

I _do_ ask for reviews, because if I don't get feedback, the story will get _worse_. Why? Two reasons.

First: Your ideas and opinions shape the story. Blaze has only a vague outline. I'm open to a lot of ideas. On top of that, your opinions keep me from doing things _wrong_.

The second, and no less important, reason is best explained through an example: if I get 20 reviews for the first chapter of a story, it's **20 for 1** **chapter**. Good score.

If I get only 1 review for the following five chapters it's **26 for 6**. Average rating at best. If that keeps up till the tenth chapter it'll be **30 reviews for 10 chapters**. A lot of people, sadly, classify as a 'bad' story before even clicking it, no matter if the contents are in fact fine. That starts a downward spiral. The readers stay away as do the reviews, the author get's disheartened and the writing falters and the story goes bad for real. Or stops altogether.

**I am not interested in writing a bad story**_**.**_ Call me a whining child, and you'd be right, but I'd rather discontinue this than see it slowly go to Koh's lair in a hand basket. At this point, with 10 chapters and a little over a hundred reviews, it's still decent. If you like this story, _**please help me**__**keep it that way**_**.**

To those who _have_ reviewed, pay no mind. Y'all made it fun writing this.^^

That said, on with what you came here for in the first place!

**Warning**: this chapter contains death and gore. It is not for the faint of heart, so if you think I went too far for a T-rating, tell me and I'll change it to M. If you think I went too far in general, say so. I'll rewrite it.

((*))

"Run Aang!" Shifu yelled over the roar of flames and sound of shattering wood. "Get on the damn bison and RUN FOR THE BLOODY HILLS!"

He'd love to do that, really, but the ship was on fire and Appa was still below deck. Realizing that, Aang slashed with his staff and broke the deck to free Appa, throwing burning debris in all directions.

A quick glance told them that no one had been hurt by it. A longer glance told him that Lin and their escort had pulverized the stones that hung at the end of the chains and scattered the sand all over the deck. This allowed them to create all sorts of weaponry.

"What about you?" Aang called, blocking fire with a hastily thrown up wall of sand. Lin had been able to teach him that much in their short time as companions.

"We signed up to escort the Avatar to the Norht Pole." Shifu answered, crushing a spearman's windpipe with sand. He then turned to Aang, eyes sad, but resolved. "We _don't_ have to come back."

_They knew they would die. _Aang realized. Which was of course completely obvious, even he knew enough of war to know people died in it. That was horrible, it shouldn't happen, but it did and… now, his friends would die. Aang swallowed past the bile in his throat and nodded.

"Sokka, Katara, Lin, Lee! Get on Appa!" He jumped on top of Appa's head and lashed out with his staff, creating a gust of wind that send three firebenders that had boarded their ship over the side. This made Katara and Sokka free to go to Appa.

"Where are Lin and Lee?" Sokka asked as he climbed into the saddle.

"And what are we going to do about our escort? We can't just leave them!" Katara exclaimed. Aang turned from her, looking for Lee and Lin in the chaos of burning wood and flying sand. He also saw their escort, fighting to give them a window to escape.

"_You have a war to stop. They played their part, yours has yet to begin." _He heard Avatar Roku murmur in his head. Aang swallowed and answered out loud.

"Yeah, I know." Wiping the tears from his eyes he found Lin removing the grapnels that the Fire Nation vessels had shot to board their ship, only to have double that number shot at them. Lee was using his dao to fight of the leader, an elderly man with sideburns.

_First Lin, then Lee._ He stirred Appa into the sky and then told Katara to take the reins. He unfolded his glider and jumped.

((*))

_This brat is_ _good_. Zhao decided as the young man dodged yet another fireball and lashed out with one of his dao in retaliation. Zhao leaned back, out of range.

_He has fought a firebender before. _Fortunately, most firebenders were not versed in the Coast style. Zhao eyed the burning ships all around. They had yet to burn to ashes, the earthbenders were making sure of that. _Which is just as well. _This way, he could make use of the fire.

His stance shifted and became more rooted in nature, while the motion of his upper body became more fluid. The lad's single visible eye widened and Zhao smirked. _Don't know this form, do you?_

With swift movements, Zhao started drawing from the fire all around them, and spread his arms wide. He brought them together swiftly, as if though he was pulling curtains shut, and the fire closed in on his target from all directions. _Never thought fire could fly from anywhere else than a bender's fist, did you?_

The lad dodged and blocked them all, not a hint of terror or hesitation in his movements. _What in Agni's name-? _His thought was cut short as a screeching lemur descended on him, tearing at his sideburns.

((*))

When she felt an arm sneak around her waist, she gauged to be either an enemy or Sparky. When she was lifted off the ground fully she panicked.

"What the heck?!" She yelled, not caring how frightened she sounded.

"Don't worry Lin!" Aang's voice called out. "I'm taking you to Appa." A few seconds later, she was dumped onto solid ground. Or, rather, saddle.

"Did you get Sparky?" She asked, reaching out for Aang's arm. She found it. "Is he okay?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Relax, Lin. Lee's doing fine. In fact, he's kicking butt down there." She could just hear the admiration in his voice. "Now let go of Aang. He'll fetch your boyfriend for you."

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" She squealed, punching him. Then she mentally smacked herself. _Smooth Toph, very smooth._

((*))

Using the distraction Momo offered, Zuko looked around for Toph and found her missing. Terror gripped him for a briefly, before Aang snapped him out of it.

"Lee! Give me your hand!" He glanced up to find Aang racing toward him on his glider, hand extended. He grasped it and they flew. From beneath them, Zhao launched a blast of fire and it struck Aang's side. He cried out in pain but kept flying. As soon as they touched down on Appa, Sokka snapped the reins.

((*))

_As good a way to go as any, I suppose. _

Shifu and his men had fought on long after the Avatar had gone. Skilled earthbenders all, they had decimated at least a third of their enemies forces. It wasn't enough, but then, they never expected it to be.

Kneeling in chains on the metal deck beneath him, he glanced up at his captor. The man's eyes were enraged, his mouth curled in distaste.

"Tell me all you know of the Avatar and his companions." The man demanded. Shifu smiled bitterly in reply.

"You'll have to kill me first." So, Beifong had betrayed them after all. He shouldn't be surprised. If there was anything he'd learned, growing up in the alleys of Omashu, it was that merchants were a fickle breed of men.

_The Face Stealer take them all. _He thought, not for the first time in his live, but probably the last. The man before him spoke again.

"No, not first." He said lightly and gestured with his hand. One of his surviving men, one of the seven that had made it, was ruthlessly cut down by one of the swordsmen in attendance. His captor smirked down at him.

"You'll go _last_." They looked each other in the eye.

Decades ago, he would have yielded what he knew on the feeble hope of his men being spared. Now, he was an old man in his fifties, and he knew better than to hope for things that would never come.

He spat at the man's feet. The reply he got was a kick to the teeth followed by a hand grasping him by the throat and raising him up. He was now face to face with his captor.

"Make no mistake, old goat, this is a one way trip for you and yours. Tell me what you know, I'll _not_ ask you trice." The men growled with blatant fury.

Shifu smiled through bloodied teeth. "We all make that trip sooner or later, lad. From the soil we come, and to it we return." The man placed his palm at his mouth and pushed it open. He felt the air from his windpipe to his lungs heat up.

A flare of pain went through him, as if his very blood had been set to boil, then he went numb and felt consciousness slipping. The man retained eye contact while speaking to another.

"Kill them all and burn the bodies." He paused for a moment, then added. "Place the ashes in jars and send them back to Omashu."

The world went dark at long last.

((*))

Escaping the Fire Nation went well, though he hated that Aang got a serious burn to his side and that they had to leave their escort behind. Orders or not, you did not travel with people for weeks without creating a sort of attachment.

But Appa could only hold so much people and even fleeing they hadn't gotten off unscathed.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" His sister asked, sounding angry and borderline hysterical.

"Uh, Sugar Queen? Sparky's a firebender. Fire is kind of his thing." Lin replied.

_NOT the right time to be a smartass. _Sokka thought. Katara immediately pounced on the offered meat.

"Yeah, firebenders _burn _things, never stopping to see what they wrought. You probably brought them on us! All you Fire Nation scum and their allies are bastards! Boasting of _honor_ while sneaking around and murdering people and hunting the world's last hope for peace!" Katara accused, pointing angrily at both Lin and Lee.

Lee had been treating the wounds Aang had sustained as soon as they'd landed, using salve he carried in his back. At this he moved away, closer to Lin. Lin had gone oddly still, which frankly, worried him. A lot.

"… I must have taken a hit to the head, because I thought I just heard you accuse me of leading a score of my countrymen to their death." Lin replied, her voice dangerously calm.

"_Okay_, this has gone on long enough already." If Katara wasn't going to be mature enough to keep her ruffled feathers to herself, than it was up to him. "Katara, don't be stupid. If Lin had wanted to harm us, she would have done so the day we met. You know, when she took out our _entire escort_ like it was _nothing_?" He stressed the words, hoping Katara would see sense.

Katara didn't. "Oh, that doesn't prove anything. Our escort wasn't all that strong. She, and this Fire Nation _inbred_, knew they couldn't defeat _us_ as well. They just waited till they had back up Sokka."

'_Us'? Who are you kidding? You mean 'Aang.'_ Because while Sokka was a warrior, he knew he was nowhere near as strong as their escort, let alone Aang. Katara was little better off then he in that regard.

Lin turned red. "How dare you! Those men just died for you!" She yelled, shaking. Katara was unmoved.

"Yeah, at the hand of your friends." She said, venom dripping from her tone and readying her water skin.

No no no, this was going all wrong. "Cut it out!" He yelled. "This is just our nerves getting the better of us! Let's just go to sleep now!" The sky was quickly darkening. He hoped Lee would still make a fire for them after all this…

"So 'Sparky' can slit our throats as we sleep? I don't think so." Katara snarled.

"He didn't do that any other time sis, so why would he-?"

"ENOUGH!" Lin roared, an enormous noise for such a small girl.

"I hear we're no longer welcome. Let's _go_, Sparky." And then she grabbed Lee by the arm and made to leave.

"Yeah, you run, you little-" Katara started but was cut off by Aang.

"You're leaving?" He asked, voice weak.

Lin blew one of her bangs out of her face. "Obviously."

"… please, don't go." Aang pleaded. "We'll sort all this out in the morning, just don't go. This is our nerves making us angry, we'll be better after we sleep." He spoke, tone hopeful.

Lin turned in his general direction, still clutching Lee's arm. "We'll just 'slit your throat' right?" She asked, unseeing eyes focusing on nothing.

Aang shook his head. "You won't." He turned to Sokka and Katara. "We'll sleep in Appa's saddle. Lin and Lee will sleep on the ground. Sounds good?"

Which would effectively give both parties some breathing space and ensure that no one could sneak up on them as they slept. Appa was on high alert after all that had transpired that day. The bison _would_ wake them.

"Agreed!" Sokka spoke, enthusiastically. _C'mon, c'mon, stay with us, we can't lose allies like you in hostile territory. _

Lin huffed. "Fine." And promptly slammed up and earth tent around her and Lee.

He sighed. _I'm going to have a long conversation with Katara about who is friend and foe, and about how you __don't__ start pissing someone off that could snap you like a twig. _Because while Katara was getting better at waterbending every day, Lin was on another level of bending entirely.

"You go ahead." He grumbled to Aang and Katara. He had to heal what he could, so he strode over to Lin's earth tent. He knocked once. Twice. When he raised his hand for third, the tent opened.

The tent was dark on the inside, and as the opening closed after him he was left in utter blackness.

"I can't see a thing." He complained.

"Must feel horrible." Lin retorted dryly.

"…Sorry." Sokka muttered back. By the Moon, how was he going to resolve this mess? "Look guys," Toph snorted again. "Right, sorry. Anyway, Katara didn't mean what she said back there. She just- she's tired. And scared. We all are, so pretty please give her another shot?" That had sounded a lot more convincing in his head.

Sokka nearly jumped when Lee lit a small candle that he'd apparently pulled out of his bag. The youth single visible gold eye was narrowed dangerously. He placed the candle in front of Lin, between her and Sokka, and whispered to the girl.

"She called him an _inbred_, Snoozles." Lin said, voice calm but he could hear her dismay. "And she called me a _traitor_ who led my own countrymen to death." She snarled at that. "Those aren't the kind of insults you just forgive because, oh she was _tired._"

"I get that." Sokka was quick to reply. "I'm going to have a long talk with her about that, because she _doesn't know what she did_. In the Water Tribes, 'words are wind.' What you say in the morning doesn't matter in the afternoon. " Gran Gran had taught him it used to be an Air Nomad saying. With the way the temperature in the tent suddenly rose, Sokka was quite inclined to believe that. According to Gran Gran, Air and Fire had not seen eye to eye on anything for the better part of several thousand years. He blustered over the boiling hatred he felt emanating from Lee.

"That's the only way you can keep a family together. You have to let some things _slide_. We can't lose you two. Not with our escort gone and stranded in hostile territory." He declared. "We need you now, more than ever. Please." He pleaded.

Lin was silent and still for a moment, the fire casting dancing shadows on her face. She turned her head in Lee's direction.

"What do _you_ want to do?" She asked. It was still odd to Sokka. Between the two of them, Lin seemed to be the one in charge, yet she looked to Lee when decisions had to be made.

Lee was a silent in the shadows behind Lin, but Sokka could see his single gold eye regarding him.

He simply nodded and Lin sighed loudly. "Done then." She told Sokka, then jabbed a finger at him. "But no further than the northern coast!" She told him. "If what Katara does is normal in the Water Tribes, I don't need to meet any more of them."

That stung, but it was no more than expected. Hakoda had always taught Sokka to keep in mind that water tribe ways were queer in the eyes of Earth and Fire. To Air, they had been understandable at least, or so it was said. Who knew anything of Air these days?

_Aang_. And that was all wrong, because he wouldn't understand that what Katara had done was wrong either. And he was the _Avatar_. _What a mess, but it will have to wait till morning._ Sokka inclined his head toward them.

"Thanks. Seriously."

Lin waved her hand, as clear a dismissal as any.

He went.

((*))

As soon as Sokka left, she sucked him in the gut with her elbow. He grunted.

"You deserved that." Toph told him.

Zuko sighed. _Yeah, I did. _"I'm not going to forgive her either." He told his young love. "But Sokka is right. Aang is wounded and in hostile territory." _More hostile than you can imagine. Agni, why did I bring you here? _"Like you said, he's a good kid. I don't want him to die here. I need him alive."

"But when he's at the North Pole, it's a different story altogether." She ventured, leaning into him. He denied it.

"Him dying would only mean for the Avatar to be reborn in the Northern Water Tribe. I want that even less than have him running loose." He told her.

She closed her sightless eyes and smiled at nothing. "Capture then. What's the difference? You'll betray him." She accused, almost playfully, and her manner reminded him so much of Azula that it hurt.

"He was never mine to betray. Not a friend, not an ally. Just another enemy to my nation." He declared hotly.

"You like him." It wasn't a question. "I know you, Sparky. You don't want to fight him, you want to talk to him.." She gestured with her hand to where Appa lay outside their tent. "Go for it." _Face the problem head one._ Went unspoken, but he heard it in her tone.

"After we capture him at the North Pole, we'll have _plenty_ of time to talk." He declared, tone final.

She sighed at him. "You're just scared of Sugar Queen." He snorted.

"No. I'm afraid of pissing Aang off when he's already injured. One of these days, Toph, I'm going to read some scrolls to you about what happens when an Avatar gets pissed off."

Which were usually things along the lines of 'entire fleets shattered,' 'whipping up gales that had mountains blow in the wind' and 'making half the volcanoes in the fire nation erupt at once.'

It was even said that long ago, the world had held only one landmass surrounded by the sea. A playground for the spirits, until the first Avatar declared their era was at an end. He, supposedly, tore a rift in reality and cast all spirits into that void, a struggle so great it tore the land asunder. Only the spirits of the elements had been allowed to stay.

Zuko had never been lucky. He wasn't going to try his luck now.

_Kmowing my luck, we'll wake to Azula throwing fireballs at us._

With that thought he lay down with Toph and quickly fell asleep in their tent, the ruins of Taku all around them.

((*))

Azula snuck through the undergrowth with Miki beside her, her squad of Yuyan creeping toward the camp from all directions. The predawn light hid them well, though she silently lamented not feeling Agni's rays on her.

_Not everything can be solved with fire._ She thought. Knowing it was true did not make it feel less wrong to think so.

She was about to signal for the ambush to start when the earth tent next to the bison exploded in shards and dust that headed straight for them. Most of her Yuyan dodged, but she heard a grunt or two that indicated a solid impact. She paid not mind to it, instead opting to attack.

_Never be still in a fight. Don't stop to think about moving. _Ozai's words echoed through her head from long ago. _Just move!_

She didn't have the distance to put her bow to good use and had to little of Agni's power coursing through her to put up a proper fight with fire, so she opted for her short sword. She shot through the dust cloud toward the earth tent, her Yuyan would see to the bison, and swung her steel at the first moving person she saw.

Steel met steel and sparks flew. A man with dao jumped away from her and circled to her left side, away from her sword hand. Seeing as the dao were longer than her own blade, she was at a disadvantage.

Logically, she should close the distance. Her sword was best in close combat of the first degree, but this man had _two_ dao and she had next to no fire to back her strikes. So instead, she reached for her thigh and flung two throwing knives at him.

He blocked them easily, confirming her suspicion. This man was good. She used his momentary distraction to take in the situation around her. The bison had lifted off the ground, but her Yuyan kept it low with the use if flaming arrows with strong ropes attached to them, creating a burning web above the bison.

She should never have lost sight of her own fight. Before she could respond, she was incased up to her neck in stone. She cursed inwardly, though her outward appearance was nonchalant.

As soon as she was incased the man turned away and ran for the bison. Azula used almost all the fire she had in her to break the rock and lob an azure fireball at the man's back, but her attempt was foiled by an earth wall. Not a second later, she was incased again. This time, her captor had encased her completely, leaving only a small breathing hole above her. Its walls were probably a lot thicker too.

She sighed and started focusing. With all the fire left in her, she could blow herself out through the small hole, the thinnest part of her tomb. But in order to do that, she needed a sun waiting for her on the outside to replenish her lost power immediately.

Running out of fire would spell her doom, as it did for any firebender.

Listening to she sounds outside small box, she heard a boy calling to fly 'Appa' low to the ground. She heard the rumble of earth and the flow of water.

"To the caves!" The boy's voice again. "On the mountainside! Let's go!" The sound of battle and panic grew fainter until she was left alone. She had waited for about fifteen minutes when she felt Agni grace the world with dawn. She didn't feel the rays directly, but she knew they were there.

With a deep breath, she launched herself upward be enhanced force of leg and a strong, focused blast of fire to break the ceiling of her cell. She burst out, her heartbeat rapid, before she felt Agni's rays for real. She stood atop of the earth cell, soaking it up. When she came down from her high and opened her eyes, she saw Miki sitting on a nearby rock, sharpening a hunting knife.

"Report." She ordered him. His reply was soft, as usual, but her sharp ears caught it easily.

"Pursuing, but I don't think we'll catch them." A statement was followed by a loud rumble of earth and she saw the mouth of a cave collapse on a distant mountainside.

_So much for that._ She'd first hoped that Zhao had captured the Avatar, and was on her way with the Yuyan to ensure he remained captured. When she heard of his failure, their escort mission had changed into a capture mission.

_This_ complicated it quite a bit. She eyed her friend.

"Why aren't you pursuing them as well?" She asked, quirking and imperious brow at him.

His grin was so carefree and lopsided it almost made her snicker. Almost. "And abandon my lady? Never."

She almost snorted. He knew damn well that she got cranky if she had to wait long for a report. He was there to give it as fast as possible.

"Let's go assess the damage." She spoke, leaping down and walking up to him. He rose fluently, smiling.

"Of course, my lady."

((*))

_Figures. _Katara thought_. The moment we're onto them, we're attacked by weird archers that use fire. That's no coincidence._ As the cave mouth closed behind them they were left in utter darkness until Lee lit a flame in his palm. What she could see of his face was even paler than usual, his eye fixed on the darkness deeper in the cave.

He whispered something to Lin and she nodded in reply. Just like that, they started walking.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked, frowning. Neither turned in her direction and neither responded. To her left, Sokka sighed.

"Guys, what are we going to do now?" Aang asked, clutching his side. The burn there had to be agitated.

"I don't know what _you're_ going to do," Lin started, never ceasing her brisk pace. "but we're getting out of this cave. Since we blew the exit, we're going to find another."

"But," Sokka spluttered beside her. "crazy archer guys are going to be watching the all the exits they can find!" He exclaimed.

"That's why we're not going to use those. We'll travel north safely through the tunnels and make our own exit when we get to the coast.." She told them matter-of-factly. Before Katara even knew what she was doing, she, Sokka and Aang fell in behind them. She didn't like it though.

"Wonder how they found us in the middle of nowhere." She started conversationally. "Almost like they already knew of our location." She said pointedly. Beside her Sokka palmed his face and Aang just looked slightly confused.

In front of them, Lin and Lee halted. Lin turned in her direction, Lee just stood there.

"Sugar Queen." Lin stated, smiling sweetly. Too sweetly. "We let yesterday slide because Sokka asked us to. _Really_ nicely. Today? Keep this up, and you can find your _own_ way out of this cave. It's a pretty complex network, I can feel it. You might never find your way to the surface."

Katara gasped. Than rage took hold of her. "You can't just leave us like that!" She cried out, indignation rolling off of her in waves. Lin merely snorted.

"Watch me." She told them and then stomped her foot and the cave started to seal itself before her eyes, cutting them off from Lee and Lin.

Her eyes widened in terror. "You can't-"

"Yes." Lin stated, tone cold. "I _can_." Then the rocks that were closing off the cave slammed back into their previous position, leaving the cave is if it had never been disturbed.

"But I _won't_." Lin finished. She turned around and started walking. The rest followed her without question.

Hours passed. They walked until their feet were sore, rested them, ate, and then walked some more. Appa carried plenty of food and water to sustain them. Eventually, Lee signaled for a halt and Lin told them that he could 'no longer feel Agni', so the sun had set.

As Aang airbended himself onto Appa's back, with an audible wince, Sokka grasped her arm. The small fire Lee had lit, which would apparently last for several hours and run on nothing but the chi he infused it with, allowed her to see little in the dark. She could see Sokka was serious.

"What is it, Sokka?" She asked, slightly nervous. What was this about?

Her brother sighed. "We need to talk, sis." He then sat down on the cave floor. She sat down opposite of him. They were silent for a short while, Sokka obviously grasping for words. Eventually, he found them.

"In the tribe, Katara, and with the Air Nomads, 'words are wind.'" He told her. She nodded, thinking this obvious. You can't get worked up over everything someone said, or the community would fall apart in no time. This was common knowledge.

"In the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, they're not." Sokka stated. "It's not like home, Katara. These people," He gestured wildly with his hands toward were Lin and Lee shared an earth tent. "they _won't _forget. They _won't_ forgive. What you did yesterday and today… you insulted them Katara. Especially Lin." He finished.

"So what you're saying," Katara said, trying to understand. "they don't let _anything _slide? How the do the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation keep it together like that?!" Because that's how tribes always fell apart in the Old Days. They cared to much about what people said and started disliking each other because of it. Dislike let to hate, hate to conflict. Tribes died that way, screaming of honor and pride.

_There is no pride in the cold. _Hakoda had often said. _There's only the tribe. We must stand as one mind against the elements. In winter, the lone wolf dies when the pack lives._

_We cannot be a pack of lone wolves._

Sokka shrugged at her. "I don't know the details. If what dad said is true, then the Earth Kingdom copes by blood feuds. If you insult someone really bad, they just ignore you in retaliation. They sabotage you when they can, the oppose you when they can. Sometimes, it means war."

"But," Katara interrupted. "In winter, the lone wolf dies." She said, dazed. This had to be wrong, because the Earth Kingdom wasn't dead and-

"Winter as we know it doesn't exist here, Katara. What they call winter, we would call a mild summer's day. Winter doesn't kill here like it does with us." Sokka reminded her. "They can manage despite it. In the Fire Nation, winter doesn't exist. It's always summer."

At Katara's dumbfounded expression he grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know. Lucky bastards. Anyway, in the Fire Nation, disputes of any kind are either prevented or resolved through battle. They have this code of honor and respect that prevents them from being at each other's throat all the time. When that fails, people who have a dispute can do battle. The winner takes all."

Katara snorted. "What do _they _know of honor or respect?" She spat. "They ruined most of the world! They killed the Air Nomads! And let's not forget they _killed our mother_ Sokka!"

He flinched, but blustered on. "There's the problem Katara. You see them as if they were like _us_. Their _different_ from us."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I've seen them, Sokka. I get that-"

"No, you don't. Katara, they aren't a pack of one mind. They are a pack of _lone wolves_, each his own man. And they do know of honor and respect. Fire Nation style. In the tribe, respect means you look up to someone and if they ask something of you, they do it. You can talk to them however you like." He paused, rubbing his temples.

"This is hard Katara, but their honor? It means you don't talk to people as you please. You never go against your elders. You treat your siblings decently. You don't just say what you think. You keep it all to yourself. That's what they call respect." With that, he rose.

"We'll talk again tomorrow." He said. "Let's get some sleep."

((*))

Aang's mind was still abuzz sometime after Katara and Sokka had gone to sleep. _Words aren't wind to Earth and Fire._ He thought, dazed. _No wonder we all never understood each other. If the tribes and the nomads say something and think it doesn't matter, while the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation do, we're all talking over each other's head!_

_"They made a huge storm that tore through most of the Fire Nation, killing almost half its population. That's what they mean by 'The Act.'"_ Lin's words echoed through his head.

_It makes no sense! _Aang thought desperately. _We don't partake in death! They knew this! How could they think we'd do something like that?_

"_In the tribe, Katara, and with the Air Nomads, 'words are wind.'"_ Sokka had said.

Aang's eyes went wide and he went very still. "They think," He said out loud, tears gathering in his eyes. "They think we _lied_. They thought our vows to preserve all live were just wind." That had to be it! The Fire Nation claimed Nomads rode the storm, Nomads from the Temples, so of course they would suspect. And who would listen to the denial of a people to whom 'words were wind'? who just said as they pleased, because in their ways, the consequence was of no matter?

_No one_. Aang realized, tears rolling down his cheeks. _No one would believe us._

He looked towards the earth tent were Lee and Lin slept.

_And no one will believe __**me**__ either._

((*))

The next day found them marching again, setting a brisk pace. The day after again, and another one after that. Sometimes Lin had to widen the tunnel for Appa to pass through, other times the entered huge caverns where they could fly on the Bison's back. On the fourth day, Lin ground to a halt suddenly.

"Sparky," She said, voice quivering and eyes wide with fear. "what am I feeling?" Aang saw Lee draw his swords and light them on fire. This fire was far more than the mere candle he had lit earlier, and more of the cave became visible.

A little in the distance stood a woman. She was naked, sickly pale and _skinny_. Aang had grown up around skinny people, as Air Nomads seldom ate much, but this took it to a whole new level.

The woman just stared at them, flinching slightly from the fire, before she opened her mouth and _shrieked_.

Her wail cut through marrow and bone, and he saw Lin cover her ears. Then she squatted on the cave floor and started rocking, tears rolling down her cheeks. When Aang looked up again, he realized that a dozen people had appeared, all as gaunt and pale as the first. Some had dried blood around their mouths, other were missing limbs. Most were running toward them at breakneck speed, hands with broken nails reaching out for them.

All were screeching.

Lee cut through them without remorse, always keeping a defensive circle around Lin. They feared the fire, but still they tried to press on.

Beside him, Sokka launched forward with his bone machete and Katara made her way to stand beside Lin, bringing out her water to defend the small girl. It was too little.

Sokka was quickly overwhelmed by sheer numbers, the pale people biting and scratching at him. Aang tried to produce a gust of wind to help him, but Lee saved him with a blast of fire. Sokka was bleeding profusely from a bite to the throat, gasping for breath. Katara rushed to help him and covered the wound with water, trying desperately to stop the bleeding.

In response, Lee unleashed an enormous blast of fire down the cave, burning the very air. The small of burned flesh and death filled the air. This bought them a minute, so the man turned to Lin and started whispering to her. It didn't work, as the girl only sobbed harder.

An ear-shattering shriek announced the arrival of new foes, and Lee whirled around to lash them apart with sword and fire. Some were going for them, others were _eating_ the Lee's fallen victims with complete disregard for the world around them. Aang tried to sweep them away using Airbending, but the wound in his side screamed at the big movement and he faltered. He released no more than a puff of air.

_Aang, _Roku's voice sounded in his head. _Fire is life, it is passion and emotion. Burn, young Avatar._

With that he lashed out and fire was unleashed.

((*))

As Toph earthbend them out of the darkness and into the open air, he was grateful. She was the first one out, and he didn't blame her. He'd never felt her this scared. Her eyes were still wet and she was still shaking, so he gathered her into his arms and let her sob into his green robe.

"_I can feel them."_ She had whispered to him in the cave. _"That woman, she feels dead, but she's not, and there's a child in her belly and- and, it's __**not**__ in her womb, sparky."_

The 'Children of Taku,' the Fire Nation called them. Once, Taku had been a powerful Earth Kingdom city, its land spread all over the North-West continent, its influence even further. In its heyday it had surpassed Ba Sing Se in power. It had often been at war with the Glass City, so when the comet came a century ago, half the army destroyed the Air Nomads and the other half broke Taku forever.

In Taku, any and all earthbender could be called upon to fight, and the normal civilians were to take shelter in the cave system in the mountains in the event of an attack. Never had they thought they might lose, and all their earthbenders would be killed. Never had they thought that the cave mouths would be blown apart after them, _sealing them in_.

_If I recall, the general who gave that order was executed be Sozin upon returning to the Fire Nation. That's the price for such a dishonorable strategy._

The cave system was complex. Once you lost sight of the exit, you might never find it again. Ten thousand men, women and children were sealed in. The cave was warm and damp, so water shouldn't be hard to come by. Food, however, was harder. There was nothing to eat in the dark but meat.

Zuko estimated that out of the original ten thousand people, only several hundred remained. Children and grandchildren of Taku, born in the dark.

_Now, a little less than that. _He thought grimly. He looked around and found that they had come in the foothills of Clawcut Bay. They had reached the northern coast. He could see the water glitter in the distance.

Aang walked up beside him and he pointed to it. The boy nodded to him and bowed. "Thank you for all you have done for us." He glanced at Toph. "Is she going to be okay?" Zuko smiled bitterly. She'd have nightmares for years, probably, but she'd be fine. She was Toph. She was tougher than anyone. He nodded to Aang.

With that Aang turned and stood by Appa. Katara walked over and said, with great reluctance, that she had been wrong.

"I misjudged you. _Both_ of you." She bowed deeply to them. "I am sorry."

_Well, you misjudged Toph. You were half right about me._

Sokka didn't say anything at first, the wound on his throat had been healed by Katara (they were all surprised when the water started glowing) but he did walk over and smile at both of them. He patted Toph on the head. "We never would have made it out there without you." He rasped. "Thanks." She smiled weakly at him.

"Anytime." Toph told him shakily.

When they had left on Appa, heading north, Zuko turned to his young love. "The town of Zakura is only a day's walk to the east." He told her. She nodded and they started walking, but Toph's legs were far to shaky now that all the adrenaline had worn off.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you." She punched his arm, a shadow of its usual strength behind it.

"I can walk by myself. I'm not a helpless little girl." She told him. He hummed in agreement.

"No, you're a hero who deserves a break. Get on." She huffed, but she did climb on.

As they walked, Zuko was lost in thought. His ship should reach Zakura in three days' time. Then, he'd start preparing to invade the North Pole.

((*))

And didn't go into detail with the children of Taku scene, because then I'd have to change the rating. You thought Azula was the reason Zuko wanted the Gaang to stay away from Taku didn't you? Hope you're surprised.

Toph's extreme reaction is due to the fact that she feels the Children. They are very gaunt, so Toph can feel things she usually can't feel (such as the content of their stomach). The logic here is based on _phosphorus_. It's a mineral that is common granite and other types of rock. It's also very common in bones. If Toph can feel things through rock, it stands to reason she can feel them through bone as well. Too little to bend, perhaps, but not to feel. I wager she can't do this normally because the flesh surrounding the bones interferes with her sight. But these people were gaunt, dear readers. Skin and bones.

Before you ask, no, I do not hate Katara. In canon, she's supposed to be the motherly type. But every single time something happens she doesn't like? She turns into a little _brat_. They don't have enough money for a waterbending scroll? She steals it (makes 'the runaway' episode kinda hypocritical, neh? Because scamming Fire Nation civilians is so much more dangerous than stealing from lawless pirates). Sokka tells them it's safer to travel on foot, lest they be seen by their enemy? She spends the better part of the day mocking him, while Sokka was just plain right. General Fong tries to help Aang master the Avatar State faster so he can end the war as soon as possible? She starts whining about how it would 'undo all their hard work' (read: All of Aang's work) and that it isn't the 'right way to do it.' Is there a right way? Should he master all the elements before mastering the Avatar State? Seems to me like Guru Patik thought it just fine to help Aang master it when he hadn't mastered all the elements yet, so how bad could it be? Could it be that Katara just didn't like it and whipped up all sorts of moral arguments (which are hard to prove) to get her way?

I'm trying to portray Katara the way canon does: Motherly and kind when she gets her way, an irrational brat when she doesn't.

Oh, pretty important this. Some people thought it queer that I connected the Fire Nation to human sacrifice. Yeah, the Fire Nation is based on feudal Japan. Guess what the sun warriors, the root of the Fire Nation, are based on. Not the Japanese, I assure you.

Furthermore, if people represent their element, Fire needs fuel. Earth, Air and Water just are. Fire demands something to consume. It demands sacrifice. That was the thought process anyway. I know it's a tad late.

Next chapter: Waterbending training and the siege of the North.

Hope you got some feedback for me!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Well dear readers, color me impressed! 19 reviews, most of which were priceless feedback! Thank you all so much! I hope I have incorporated it all properly in this chapter.

…yeah, season finale, eh? It's uuuh, a tad long. Sorry.

To those wondering why the children of Taku, given it was at least rumored that they existed, were never freed in the 9+ decades since they were trapped. Here are the reasons: 1) Taku is a region under Fire Nation control. There is no sufficient earthbending force _there_ that could pull something like that off (Remember: Taku was considered cursed. They wouldn't go there. _Ever_.)  
2) I type this story with a map of the Avatar world at hand. The children weren't stuck in a mere cave under a mountain. They were stuck in a _cave complex_ (that ran for miles upon miles and deep into the earth) that was under a mountain _range_. Even if an earthbender had known exactly where the children were in that entire cave system, it would've taken ages to get to them (and don't even start about getting back _out_ again). Perhaps an Avatar level earthbender could have done something of that magnitude, but those were hibernating when it went down at Taku.

Considering this, previous situations and those yet to come, I have placed a link to the map of the Avatar World in my profile. One link goes to a positively huge map, the other to the legend of said map. Should make reading Blaze that much more easier for you all.

A reminder: Spoken canon overwrites written canon in this fic. Sozin became over a 150, and Kuruk was about 600+ when he kicked the bucket. I know this is a spoken paradox with what the chief of Kyoshi Island said about Kyoshi being the oldest Avatar ever, but I'm more inclined to trust and ancient spirit's (Koh) knowledge on the matter than that of some old geezer, I thank you. Just because people _claim_ it is history doesn't make it so. 'Koh could lie' in most legends, spirits don't lie. They bend the truth, but they can't outright lie.

As a side note, I found the northern water tribe city somewhat wanting as far as cities went, so in this fic the city is about thrice as large as in canon. Not really all that important, but it should give you a scale of things. The layout of the city is unchanged.

**Warning: **this chapter will contain some slightly risqué elements. Note in advance that the Avatar verse has a medieval setting, and so has very different set of norms and values than ours. I'll elaborate in this in the A/N at the chapter's end. It'll make sense, I promise.

Enjoy!

((*))

As he descended into sleep, the same scene awaited him. A high mountain top plateau, surrounded by fog. A thin haze of clouds blocked out most of the sun, the light of which seemed to be more yellow than in the real world and seemed to come from all directions at once.

The grass tickled his bare feet. He was standing on a small, circular island of grass surrounded by a pool. The pool was shaped to form half of a yin and yang symbol, the other half being made of grass with a single circular pool in it.

As always, an Avatar stood before him, standing on the surface of the water circle. This one was different from Roku and Kyoshi, who usually tested him as he slept. He was tall and broad of shoulder. He wore Water Tribe colors. A small, white, fur poncho that ended just past his chest covered a longer robe of deep blue, which ended at his thighs to cover up _another_ robe of blue. All the robes ended, as did the ends of his sleeves, in thin white fur.

The man was handsome, Aang was not ashamed of noticing, but his eyes were so sad it tore into him.

"Are you here to talk, train bending, or just hack at me with something?" Aang asked, tiredly. The man just nodded in reply and threw an ice spear, which had appeared out of nowhere, at him. Aang dodged it and caught a second spear with his hand.

The man nodded in approval and sat, gesturing Aang to sit ass well. The boy mentally sighed in relief. The first time Kyoshi had shown up to train him, she'd killed him seventeen times before he understood that he had to fight her. It took twenty more deaths before she was satisfied and just _left_. This man was easier to please.

_So far, at least. _Aang reminded himself as he sat down across from the older Avatar. The man just gazed at him until Aang had to consciously restrain himself from fidgeting. Finally, his patience ran out.

"Look, I'm kind of in a hurry to become a fully realized Avatar, so can we hurry this along? Please?" The man's expression did not change, but Aang swore he saw amusement in his eyes. When he blinked, it was gone.

"You remind me of myself in my youth." The man sat kindly. "Brash, hasty, eager to prove myself and impress the ladies." Aang blushed at that. _Busted. _

"In my youth, I was also the worst possible Avatar imaginable, so we'll have to change you a bit." The man continued severely. "Avatar Aang, you have to restore balance to the world. Tell me, how do you intend to do this?" The man's eyes never left Aang, and his gaze burned.

Aang didn't miss a beat. Kyoshi had trained the hesitation out of him by now. "By stopping the war." The conviction in his voice would have made Roku smile. This man did not.

_Harder to please than he looks. _Aang mused.

"And how, exactly, is stopping the war going to restore balance?" The man asked, tone deceptively mild.

…Roku and Kyoshi hadn't exactly discussed that with him. Ever. "Can I get back to you on that?" He asked, grinning sheepishly. _Sokka's rubbing off on me_. "We didn't really cover that-"

"I'm not asking what Roku or Kyoshi think of this, I know their thoughts on it already. Roku hasn't stopped yapping about it for a hundred years now and Kyoshi, though wise in her own way, had a flair for taking the most easy and apparently effective road she could think of, never stopping to see what she had wrought." He sighed, face sheepish. Then it hardened again.

"I'm asking you what _you _think. Let us say, you stop the war. Then what?"

Aang was silent for a second before replying, his tone slightly hesitant. Kyoshi was going to smack him for this, he was sure.

"All will be good because then everybody will stop fighting, right?" He offered. The man nodded and continued his inquiries.

"I take it that by 'stopping the war,' you mean to stop it by defeating the Fire Nation?"

Aang nodded. The man's expression became thoughtful and he brought up a hand to stroke his beard.

"Aang," the man started. "if you defeat the Fire Nation and force them to stop fighting, they, who _savaged_ the world and it's balance for a century, what are the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes likely to do?" He asked. "Think carefully." He added when Aang already opened his mouth to speak.

Aang shut it and contemplated. His first response was to say 'they'll stop fighting too' but that was what an _Air Nomad_ would do. He was the Avatar, and this was test _for_ the Avatar. What would Water and Earth do?

He thought of Katara. Katara… she would never forgive the Fire Nation. She was too hurt, to angry. If she represented the average Water Tribe mentality toward the Fire Nation, and according to Sokka she pretty much did, then the Water Tribes would want _revenge_. He shuddered.

_Air Nomads don't do revenge… but Katara isn't a nomad. _

Then he thought of Lin and Shifu. They _wouldn't_ continue fighting… unless riled. With whatever Lin did, Lee called the shots. It wasn't that she was obedient or anything, Aang surmised, but because she had no reason _not _to do it. Thinking of Shifu and Kyoshi, it was the same. Earth would need incentive, like a rockslide waiting to happen. All it needed was a little push for all of it to come down…. And the water tribes would be more than happy to give that push.

"…they'd fight." Aang realized with remorse. "But- but, that's not fair!" He exclaimed, anger and sadness in his voice. "How am I supposed to restore balance like that?! If I stop the Fire Nation like Roku wants, Earth and Water will take the fight to them! If I don't stop the Fire Nation before the end of summer, the balance will be messed up beyond repair!" He buried his face in his hands. This man would _not _see his tears. "What am I going to do?" He sobbed.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and his head snapped up to find that the man was now sitting right in front of him. The man smiled kindly. "What is balance, Aang?" He asked.

Aang sniffed and rooted through his upset mind for the proper answer. "I guess it's a nation for each element, right?" He got out, voice choked. Like that was ever going to fly without any Air Nomads left.

The man shook his head. "I have walked the Earth for longer than Kyoshi and Roku put together, and I will share what little wisdom I have gathered in that time: balance is a _myth_. The balance we know today was established about two thousand years ago, though it may be more. My predecessor fought for a hundred-and-twenty years to maintain that balance, and for what? To preserve a world where the rich and powerful eat more in a week than the poor in a year? Where a _misunderstanding_ can lead to the murder of a people? Where things such as the Children of Taku can exist? Where is the balance in such cruelty?" He asked.

Aang flinched when he mentioned Taku, and the man's expression turned to pity. "I was watching beside Roku when you met them. I am sorry, Aang. You should never have had to see this world's cruelty so soon, no matter what Kyoshi and Roku tell you." He sighed.

"Anyway, the point is this: if you are looking for balance in this world, Aang, perhaps it is best to look for _real_ balance, not the illusion of it."

With that Aang's eyes snapped open and his lungs were filled with the cold air of the North Pole.

((*))

Bumi laid the message on his desk and petted the large, white bird that had brought it. Polar hawks were far faster than their southern cousins. Aang had arrived in the North Pole two days ago, and only yesterday a hawk arrived bearing the news.

"You'll have to tell me how you do that, some day." He told the avian messenger, patting it. With Aang at the North Pole, the next phase of his plan could start. A shame that half the escort that had gone with Aang had perished. He would miss Shifu dearly. But he'd known the risk, as did they all. They had done their duty.

As had the other half. When they liberated the earthbenders on that prison rig, they had found the location of nine other such rigs. They had ambushed the ship that would be bringing the next load, and it had been liberating and ferrying the prisoners back to shore for weeks now.

Sixteen-hundred earthbenders, with four-hundred yet to be liberated. He had kept them hidden in the wilderness for some time, knowing that any strike he made against the Fire Nation would provoke trouble.

But not now. Not with the Avatar at the Nothern Water Tribe. Not with Gaipan, an important port in the colonies, flooded, and so endangering the supply line to the bulk of the army in the east.

Now, the south could move. With effective managing, they could keep the Fire Lord's focus off of them until they could move decisively. Fire Lord Iroh was no fool, but he had other priorities. Resolved, he sent for his attendants. Time to sent the raven's flying.

((*))

_He has a flair for the big moves _Pakku mused. _but not for the details, which are far more important._ Aang was throwing copious amounts of fluid around, but he didn't _feel_ any of it.

"Yes, keep that up and you might one day defeat a mantis serpent. One step closer to the Fire Lord, I suppose." He remarked and the boy glared at him. _Plenty of fire, for sure. All air and flame, this one._

"Tell me," He continued, undisturbed by the death glare. "how would you go about defeating a firebender?"

The boy quirked a brow. "Throw him into the wall until he's out cold. Works like a charm" The boy deadpanned, obviously in a dark mood.

_If only you had faced Azulon in battle, young one. You would not speak so lightly of your foe then. _But people weren't all as fortunate as Pakku in that regard.

"With _waterbending,_ foolish boy." He elaborated. "On second thought, expecting you to _think_ is obviously placing the bar to high. Just attack me. With _waterbending_." He took a stance across from the boy.

The lad's brow twitched. "You're not a firebender." He pointed out. Pakku rolled his eyes.

"You powers of observation are staggering. I am not a firebender. What gave me away? The blue eyes, or the tan?" He remarked. Honestly, was this kid thinking at all?

The kid roared in anger and swept his arm. From Pakku's right a torrent of water came for his head. _Duck. _He thought, and so he did. The torrent sailed harmlessly overhead and crashed to the ground several meters away from him. "Congratulations. Were I a dragon, you would have certainly hit me. For the record: I am not."

The lad exhaled noisily, and swept his arms several time and threw in a kick for good measure. Now, the water came from all sides. _But it's waist high._

He bend his knee and leaned backwards, dodging the blast of water that collided a hair's breath away from his head. He paid no mind, instead launching himself toward Aang, keeping low to the ground.

He flicked his wrist and the air around the lad's nose and mouth froze shut, halting his breathing. "That's how you defeat a firebender. You have a lot to learn, young Avatar."

He melted the ice and waited for the boy to catch his breath.

"Again." He told his student. The boy was no quitter, if the needles of ice flying his way were anything to go by.

((*))

"_In the Northern Water Tribe it is forbidden for women to learn combative waterbending. However, my prized disciple Yakone thinks you __**might**__ actually achieve something with tutelage, given your heritage as a southern waterbender, and I can't bid him nay."_ The old man had said. _"You and he will go into the tundra. He can train you there. Now, get out of my sight."_

Friendly he hadn't been, but Yakone had been a pleasant surprise. Smooth of speech, patient as a teacher and very easy on the eyes, he was all she had hoped to find in a teacher.

"…your style is different from ours." He remarked, watching her go through a beginner's form. "The Northern Style places emphasis on the wrist and shoulder movement. Bu you seem to naturally use your whole body in your motions."

"Is that good or bad?" Katara asked, her cheeks heating up. _He's really watching me, isn't he?_

"It's different. Your movements are slower than I am used to, but they flow perfectly with the water you bend. You exchange speed for control, there is nothing wrong with that." He looked at the sky and beckoned her over.

"Let's go back to the cabin and freshen up. Then, it's time for bed." He told her, smiling slightly.

"But it's not even evening!" She didn't care that she sounded like a whining child.

He chuckled. "You may have noticed that a waterbender's power are stronger at night. The next part of our training will require that. Come."

When they entered the wooden cabin that they were using for as long as they remained in the tundra, Yakone placed a hand on her shoulder. "This way." He told her. "I've got a little surprise for you." He guided her from the main sleeping area of the cabin to another small room. He pushed through it and opened a door. Steam hit Katara's face, and when she managed to look past the haze she saw two pools of hot water.

Her jaw dropped. "How is this possible?" She asked, bewildered. "I thought only the Fire Nation had hot springs!" Spirits knew the bastards didn't deserve them. Always summer, fertile land, hot springs, what _didn't_ the spirits hand to them on a platter?

_A soul. _She thought, bitterly. Yakone's voice shook her from her thoughts. "Not really. I heard Ba Sing Se has one or two springs as well. Hot springs can exist because there is fire in the earth. It's everywhere, but where it's close to the surface the fire heats the water and voila! Hot springs." He grinned charmingly at her. She was too stunned to notice.

"Fire? In the _Earth?_" She asked. He chuckled softly.

"Molten rock would be more accurate. It emits heat anyway." He shrugged. "There is Fire beneath the mountain range this continent has. It melts the glaciers at a steady rate, and the warm rivers that are born from that allow this land to be inhabited. Most of our tribe's villages exist in the delta of these rivers, the capital in the largest of them." He pushed her forward. "Go enjoy it, I'll take a dip after you're done. Take your time." He patted her on the head. "You deserve it."

She blushed, and not because of the heat of the springs.

When she came out again, dressed in a wool sleeping robe, she found Yakone in a position she had grown familiar in the last months.

_Lotus. _She thought. _He's meditating. _"The Nothern Tribe meditates?" She asked.

His eyes opened slowly. "I do. A habit inherited from my master." He told her.

"What? You got it from _Pakku_?" The sour old man didn't exactly strike her as a spiritual person. The man before her nodded.

"Reflection is important. You must always know what you are fighting for." He told her as he rose. "Go to sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours. Then, I'll take your training to the next level."

((*))

"So, what kind of books are you looking for?" Chief Arnook asked kindly as they entered the main hall of the university.

"I dunno, really." Sokka answered. "I guess anything on the Fire Nation and warfare would work." He thought for a moment longer, than added: "And any works on Taku. I want to know what happened there, and why." Curse his curious nature, but he could not get it out of his head.

Chief Arnook led him over to a bench and gestured for him to sit down beside him. When he did, the chief spoke. "We have no works on Taku after it's golden age. Some documented letters here and there, but nothing of note. We do have lore, however, and long memories. What is it you want to know?"

Sokka thought for a moment. "What was Taku?" First things first.

"Taku was an Earth Kingdom city of great renown and power, it's influence spread through all of what would later become the Fire Nation colonies." The chief answered easily.

_This man knows history. _Sokka thought. "What happened?" The question seemed so simple, but the answer would not be. Sokka knew better than that.

"Taku has often been at odds with the Fire Nation, specifically the Glass City. In their last conflict, Taku destroyed the islands that housed it. I can only guess what became of its people, but none of it good, I assure you." He took a breath and continued. "I suppose the Fire Nation thought it time to exact revenge for their cousins in the east when the comet came. They tore Taku to pieces."

Sokka did not want to ask his next question, but he had to. "What were those monsters under the mountain?" _Yeah, great. The man needs some more context snoozles!_

…he'd spent far too much time around Lin.

To Sokka's surprise, the chief just looked at him with pity, than to the scar that still adorned Sokka's throat. "… so you've seen them. They are called 'the Children of Taku', Sokka. Our letters indicate that, in the event of an attack, the non-benders of Taku would take refuge in the cave network that stretches beneath the mountain range near the city. When they lost, the Fire Nation army destroyed any and all caves they could find, sealing them in." He finished.

Sokka held up a hand to his mouth, feeling sick. He could guess the rest. When a family got snowed in during a winter… whatever they found when they were dug out again, it was never pretty. "Thanks. That's all I need to know." As soon as the man left, he was going to find a privy. He needed to retch. After the chief had pointed him to the university's library and a the privies (the chief hadn't looked surprised when he asked) he did just that.

He walked among the books and scrolls about an hour later, musing. _All this paper must have been imported. Probably from Ba Sing Se. _

That, or the tundra held more possibilities than he thought. _I'll ask the chief next time I see him._

He wandered among the bookshelves, looking for anything that might be useful, when he tripped and met the floor face first. As he tried to get off the floor, his nose picked up the distinct smell of meat. Before him was a plate with some fish, still steaming from whatever method of preparation it had been blessed with (Sokka suspected a grill). A smile spread across his face.

"Well hello there, beautiful!" He told the fish. Picking it up, he said "Don't worry fishy, for I am a gentle eater. Sort of." With that he stuffed the fish into his mouth and a giggle from behind him drew his attention.

His head whipped around, and he found princess Yue sitting behind him. Sokka turned beat read. _Still sprawled on the floor, a fish tail sticking out of your mouth and you just tripped over her._

_Yeah, you still got it Sokka._

"That's my food." She told him, still giggling.

"It's delicious." He said through a mouthful fish. Then he mentally smacked himself. _What happened to the good ol' Sokka charm?!_

Apparently still working, to a degree, because Yue giggled again. "What brings you here? You don't exactly strike me as a man for literature." She said.

Picking himself off of the floor and gulping down the remainder of the fish, he grinned at her. "Yeah, I'm just full of surprises." He told her. "And I don't really know what I'm looking for. You just made me forget all about it."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled none the less. "Perhaps I can help you remember?" She purred.

"uuuuuh" He was getting pretty hot now. "Sure… you come her often, princess?"

She giggled at his, without a doubt, red face. "Yeah, I'm fond of books. If you're looking for works on the Fire Nation, it's three aisles that way." She pointed.

_As good a start as any… but no score. Bugger. Unless… _

"Want to join me? This savage southerner would never find his way through all this knowledge." He sighed dramatically.

She sighed and shook her head. "Quite so, you illiterate scoundrel." She rose and went ahead of him. "C'mon then. I'll show you the ropes."

_Score. _Sokka thought, following her.

((*))

"You're sulking." He accused from what sounded like the doorway. "You've been cooped up in our hut since we arrived." And hardly left the bed, but Toph wasn't about to add to his rant list.

"Talk to me." He told her.

"Don't tell me what to do." She snapped at him. He snorted.

"_Asking_ hasn't exactly yielded any results." He told her harshly. Then, his tone softened. "Talk to me, Toph." She sat up in bed, absently petting Momo's head. The lemur had taken refuge in Appa's saddle after the ambush, and only returned as they had been makig their way to Zakura.

"She called me a traitor." She told him. He sighed in response.

"Don't let it get to you Toph, you know it's not true-"

"Isn't it?" She asked snidely. "I'm betrothed to the crown prince of the Fire Nation, my father just betrayed the _Avatar_ for browny points with the Fire Lord, and a good man and twenty of his underlings are _dead_ because of that." She felt sick to her stomach, but blustered on.

"Tell me Zuko, how is that any different from treason?" She asked him.

She heard his footsteps over the floorboards and felt his weight settle down on the bed. He was sitting on the edge, she guessed. Toph pulled the covers over her head and laid back down again on her belly, arms under the pillow, not caring that it made her look like a kid.

"Toph, if being betrothed to me makes you a traitor in the eyes of the Earth Kingdom, _then_ you are. If betraying the Avatar makes you a traitor, your _father_ is one. Not you, never you. You _helped_ the Avatar. And whatever Katara says, you did _not_ lead those men to their death." He told her firmly.

"Then who did?!" She yelled into her pillow, stuffing her face in it. "I knew it was a trap, I could have said something, and they'd still be alive! But I _didn't_, Zuko. I didn't say _anything_."

"If you had, you would've exposed Lao and thrown the entire southern Earth Kingdom into chaos. The only reason we can keep our bloodless conquest of the south up is because the people there _don't_ know the merchants have sold them." He told her. "You sacrificed twenty-one lives to save hundreds, if not thousands, from the chaos that would ensue had you acted differently. You did _the right thing_, Toph." Yeah, somehow, it didn't feel like she had.

"Toph," he finished. "I don't care who's to blame for those men's death, but I know it's not you, no matter how guilty you feel." Then she felt him pull the blanket down to her waist and hot fingers on her neck.

"No fair, you're distracting me." She grumbled. His fingers massaged her neck and upper back, pulling her robe down as he went, undoing knots that had been there for far too long already.

"You'll forgive me in a minute." He predicted. "You always do." She lashed out in his general direction with her leg, but the fingers had reached her lower back and drained all the force from her kick.

"Cheater." She accused as his finger skimmed across her, stopping just shy of her buttocks. His fingers drew away and she heard him take a shuddering breath.

"This is wrong." He whispered, mostly to himself, but she heard.

"What is?" She asked, innocently, wiggling her bare back slightly to get his attention. "Can I get some heated finger action here? I'm cold."

"That's what's wrong." He said. "I mean, you're a kid! You have no right to be this tempting!" She smirked. _Wizard with words you aren't, Sparky. Kind of cute. Kind of._

She turned her head in his direction. It made no difference to her, but he felt better that way, she knew, and smirked at him. "You think I'm tempting? Kinky."

He groaned, she snickered. "That's the problem! I shouldn't be thinking of you like that!"

"Why? Too much for you?" She asked, wiggling again. The way he spluttered was priceless.

"You're a _child_, Toph. No matter how mature and independent you are. It's just- it's just _wrong_." He said, clearly trying not to sound like a dork and failing. But she knew better than to call him out on that by now. He was trying so hard because he cared.

Toph poked her tongue out at him. "I'm also your fiancé." She told him. "I'd be more worried if you _weren't_ attracted to me." Then she laid her head back down. "Now finish what those fingers started. Or better yet," She sat up, only bothering to shrug her robe back on at his spluttering protest. "take your shirt off. Ty Lee and Mai wouldn't shut up about 'that glorious torso.' I wanna feel what the fuss is about."

He was silent for a moment, then she heard the rustle of clothing.

"Zu-Zu, kindly keep your shirt on in front of children." A female voice droned from the doorway and Zuko spluttered.

Toph heard taps on the wooden floor and a weight landed on her bed. She was engulfed in a hug before she could respond.

"Wow, it's so good to see you again! Your aura is really weird you know? It's like, bouncing between gloomy blue and bright green. It's really, really weird!" Ah, Bubbles. Toph grinned.

"Hi Bubbles." She leaned to where she judged the girl's head to be and stage whispered. "Thanks for the tips on seduction. This guy is a total sucker for em'." She jerked her thumb in Sparky's general direction and heard him groan.

Toph heard footsteps near her and she felt a gaze. It gave her goose bubs. "That's all you." The voice from before said. "Zu-Zu can't resist a decent pair of hips."

Toph felt heat rush to her face and smirked wryly. "That bad, are they?"

"More like 'that good.'" Zuko muttered. The silence that followed was somehow more smug than awkward.

"Well," a monotone voice broke in. "that answers that." Miss Stick had joined the party. Joy.

"What are all of you doing here?" She heard Zuko ask, voice muffled. _Probably holding his head in his hands._ She decided.

"I'd like to know where you've been, Zu-Zu." Toph decided this had to be Azula. She was, after all, the only woman that had the rank to talk to Zuko like that _and _call him 'Zu-Zu.' "Your ship has been in port for a week, according to the dock records, yet you arrived here a little over four days ago and Mai won't tell me where you've been off to. _Spill_." Toph felt a chill go up her spine. _I do not want this chick as my enemy, no sir._

She'd love a good spar with her, though. According to Sparky, she was _good_. "We've been touring the colonies. Incognito." She blurted. "I'm not a fan of pomp and Sparky just couldn't tell me no."

"No doubt, I can see why, but why would Mai be so reluctant to inform me of this?" Azula asked shrewdly. Zuko snorted.

"I've run off with a girl, alone, doing everything that Agni has ever forbidden, and you're surprised I didn't want Mai to tell my _baby sister_? You could be scarred for life." He deadpanned. Toph smirked inwardly. _And not a single lie in the entire sentence._

Azula snorted right back at him, a delicate sound, but unmistakable none the less. "Well, seeing as you went to great lengths to prevent me from being scarred for life in the first place, I'll let you off the hook." There was a significant amount of underlying affection in that statement, Toph could hear it. "Anyway, Zhao's waiting just outside. He wants to talk war, and I think you'll want to hear it." She finished, smirking slightly.

Zuko scoffed as he rose and petted Toph's head affectionately. _Once I've got earth to bend, you're going to pay for that. No one pets my head and lives!_ "Of course." She heard him say over the sound of his retreating footsteps. "I summoned him here." Momo leaped from the bed and onto Zuko's head cried for the prince to march a shrill chirp.

He walked out with the house breaking down behind him.

((*))

After Zu-Zu had taken his leave and the laughter had subsided, Azula turned her full attention to the little girl on the bed.

_Young. _Was Azula's first thought. _Cute. _Was the second. A smirk made its way across Azula's face. _Let's see what else has got Zuko so crazy about her._

Oh sure, in every story he'd been talking about his 'friend Toph' but Azula knew Zu-Zu well enough to know when he had it bad, even before _he_ knew it.

"So you're the infamous Toph. Zu-Zu talks about you a lot." She started conversationally. The little girl smirked cockily.

"He should. I rule." Somehow, the boast sounded more confident than arrogant, like she was simply stating a fact. _Perhaps she is. _Azula thought, amused.

"Yes, he mostly talks about 'her hot body.' Does that ring any bells?" A total lie, Zu-Zu never talked about Toph that way, or about any woman for that matter. She didn't have to know that, though. The girl's smirk just got wider.

"I can tell you're lying." Toph sang, grinning.

_Am I know? _"What makes you say such hurtful things, little girl?" She asked, doing her best to sound genuinely hurt. The merchant's daughter wasn't buying it.

"Safe the acting for Sparky toots. He's way too awkward with stuff like that to talk about it with his _baby sister_." Toph told her matter of factly, voice teasing.

Azula smirked. _This one's a keeper._

((*))

"Honestly, I'm gone for two weeks and a half week and you guys are a mess!" Katara joked, taking in Sokka and Aang. Aang smiled at her, albeit a bit shakily and ran a hand through his short brown hair.

"Master Pakku said that it'd be better for everyone if I made it easier for myself to disappear in crowd." He gestured to his new clothes, an attire similar to his air nomad robes except it was a dark blue color and the edges were trimmed with white fur. To top it off, it had a hood, tough Aang wasn't drawing it. "The clothes are supposed to 'humble me.' Master poophead thinks I take too much pride in being an Air Nomad."

Katara quirked an eyebrow. "Is that bad?" Aang shrugged in reply.

"Master Pakku said he wasn't an Air Nomad, but the Avatar. He has to represent the _world_, not a _part_ of it that's _gone_." Sokka put in. Katara rolled her eyes and glared at her brother. _Very sensitive, Sokka._

To her surprise, Aang just rubbed the back of his head and his chuckle was only slightly bitter. "I guess that makes sense. I just hate all this fur. How can you walk about wearing dead animals all the time?"

Sokka shrugged. "We don't really stop to think about it anymore. It just is." Sokka, like Aang, had clearly evaded the razors for a week or two. His chin and upper lip were covered with stubble and his temples, which he usually kept neatly trimmed to a thin haze of hair, was now a dense fuzz. His own clothes were different as well, his parka having been exchanged for a long poncho trimmed with fur. He had a book tucked under his arm.

_He looks smart. _Katara thought, proudly. _Well, almost. _"Sokka, get your finger out of your nose."

"But it's really itching!" He exclaimed. Katara smiled sweetly in reply.

"I'll help you scratch it." And promptly buried him under a mountain of snow. To the side, princess Yue looked torn between worry and amusement. Amusement won out and she giggled, walking over to Sokka.

"You hurt?" She asked him as he was wriggling out from under the snow.

"I think I've broken one of my livers." Katara's eyebrow twitched at that.

"Sokka, you only have one liver." She told her goofy brother.

"… and how many do you need?"

"One."

"…then I'm in trouble." He said, a puff of air escaping him.

Aang approached her from the side and, to her surprise, engulfed her in a hug. "Glad you're back." He murmured and she blushed slightly. Aang could be very sweet sometimes.

"How was the training?" He asked her cheerily as they broke off. Katara perked up at the question.

"Great! Yakone is a really good teacher, and he's really strong!" She exclaimed, looking over to where the young man was talking with master Pakku, no doubt about their students' progress. "And how was your own training, Aang?" She had been expecting a chain of complaints, so his grin surprised her.

"Great! Master Pakku is still an ass, but he's a good teacher. I'm better than all of his students now, he told me."

"With the exception of myself, I hope." Yakone said as he and master Pakku joined them. "We could have a spar, if you'd like, young Avatar."

"No." Sokka spoke up, finally joining them again, still shaking snow from his hair. "You haven't heard the news yet, but there's a Fire Nation fleet coming the North Pole's way. We gotta save all of our strength for that."

Katara felt the blood drain from her face. "Y-you're sure?" She asked. Sokka nodded, solemnly.

"The snow was black, Katara." _Same as with us. Same as with mom._

She gulped. "What are we going to do?" She asked her brother. He grinned at her, so smug it was almost a smirk.

"We're going to fight. We tailored the city for war while you were gone. This won't be a repeat of what happened to us, Katara." He told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No children are losing their mothers here. Not on our watch."

Katara nodded back, feeling reassured. It was always great to see some of their father in Sokka, especially when everyone needed it.

She glanced at Aang, mulling. "Air Nomads don't partake in death, right? What are you going to do?" She was worried for the boy. He was only twelve, yet he was probably the strongest bender in this tribe. They needed him.

Aang averted his gaze, but when he locked eyes with her again they were resolute. "I'm not an Air Nomad. Their gone. _Gone_. I'm the Avatar, and I'll fight." He swallowed hard. "And if I have to, I'll kill."

He sounded resolute, but she could hear a little boy's heart breaking inside.

((*))

"_Be careful Zu-Zu. An Earth Kingdom rebel I captured told me the Northern Water Tribe is working on a new trick called 'bloodbending.' If it's half as dangerous is it sounds…"_

"_Then I'm in trouble." Zuko deadpanned. "We'll make it through, sis. Nobody said this would be easy. But we have to do this. You look after Toph." She smirked wryly at him. _

"_Don't worry, you're girlfriend will be in one piece when you get back. And she won't be burned… much." _

Sitting in his cabin on _Dragon's Fang,_ Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. Bloodbending. Didn't exactly bode well, but like he'd told Azula: they had to do this.

"Why are we doing this, again?" Zuko eyed Mai curiously, tempting her to elaborate. She did. "Why are we doing this _now_? Can't we wait until the full moon has passed, at least?"

"Unfortunately, we can't." Zhao answered for him. "The Water Tribes have to be defeated at their most powerful, else they'll attempt to stab us in the back at the fist moon's turn. They have to be defeated at the height of their power before they can truly understand the superior power of fire." He stated proudly. Zuko pointed to him.

"What he said, minus the excessive nationalism." He grinned mischievously at Zhao. "I should set you up with Azula. You two would never stop spouting propaganda." Hardly an odd pair, actually. Sozin's wife had been over thirty years younger than him, and it had been a happy marriage none the less.

Zhao snorted. "With all due respect, no. I prefer cute girls who like me for my status and muscles, not my nationalism." He saluted and marched for the door. "Excuse me ladies, I'll retire to my quarters. Big day tomorrow, history to be made and all that." He turned to Ty Lee and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "If you're feeling lonely my cabin is on the level beneath this one. There's no pressure."

There was an awkward silence after he left, which only became more awkward when Ty Lee rushed out the door ten minutes later, a sly grin on her face.

Zuko quirked his lone eyebrow, trying to focus on a map. "Is she going to…?"

Mai nodded with a perfect poker face. "Yeah. They've been flirting ever since we left port."

He spluttered. That was just _wrong_. "He's three times her age!" He exclaimed. Mai shrugged.

"Much closer to two and a half, really, but have you _seen_ the guy?" She asked Zuko, quirking a delicate eyebrow of her own.

"Muscles." Zuko muttered through gritted teeth. Mai nodded.

"And status. Ty Lee is shallow enough to go for just that." She shrugged. "And they're about to go off to fight a war. Can you blame them?" Zuko couldn't honestly say he could.

((*))

He nuzzled her face and she giggled. "Scratchy sideburns!"

"You like them." He told his flexible lover, feeling her fingers trace across his chest. She sighed, and her breath on his face gave him goose bumps.

"How is a guy like _you_ single?" Ty Lee asked, smiling tiredly in the afterglow of their love-making, the sweat on her body shining in the candlelight. Zhao shrugged, rolling onto his back and dragging her along so she was blanketing him. She didn't seem to mind.

"It's the sideburns, I swear. That, and I'm too focused on my career. Besides, I'm a bender of great skill. We tend to get old. I've got plenty of time to start a family _later_." He answered her truthfully. No need to lie.

She propped herself up on her elbows, leaning on his hard chest, making a cute thinking face. "Why aren't you going for Azula then, like Zuko suggested? That ought to do your career some good, right?"

Zhao shook his head, amused. "Many reasons, but the three foremost are: she'd kill me for trying to court her, you know her; I'm not attracted to her in the least and neither is she to me and, well… everything I've achieved, I've achieved through hard work. I'm not going to piggy-back on someone else's title." He explained. She nodded to him, expression strangely thoughtful and serious.

"You want them to see you for _you_, for who _you_ are and what _you've_ achieved." She said. He nodded, deciding that while he enjoyed the their close and serious moment, he enjoyed her even better when she smiled.

"That said, when this battle is done, I'm retiring." He told her gruffly. "I set out to make my mark in history and this should do it."

She looked bemused. "But you're still so young!" She exclaimed and he snorted, holding his chuckles back.

"Not as young as I look, and I'd like some peace and quiet after all this." Her fingers played with his sideburns and she smiled slyly at him.

"Mind if I join you in that 'peace and quiet'?" He grasped her hand and kissed her wrist, the action somehow inflaming her cheeks, where the fact that she was nude and draped on top of him, did not.

"Why would I mind a charming, young woman joining me?" He asked her. "I was thinking about getting a house on Ember Island and luxuriate my retirement away. Perhaps start a martial arts school to pass time. A Chi-Blocker of your skill would be most useful there… and a face as pretty as yours should bring the men to our door." He smirked at her.

Ty Lee kissed him and Zhao rolled them over again so she was beneath him. After that, he let instinct take over.

They both knew all this talk was half a joke, a simple ploy to stave off the fear that one of them might die on the morrow.

_But_, Zhao decided as he passionately kissed the little spitfire beneath him. _It might not be all that bad._

((*))

"Tell Liang to take his frigates and start pelting the walls with trebuchets and tell Chan to stand by to receive orders for his. He's to stay close to the my ship until then." Zuko commanded as he adjusted his boots. When they were strapped properly he looked himself over. Tight clothing, multiple layers, all white. He checked his mask. White as well and the small oxygen tanks framing it were painted as the snow as well. Two round, glass eyes stared back at him with a slightly green hue. Nodding to himself, he turned to the men and women assembled.

His sister had been kind enough to lend him forty of her Yuyan, including an experienced veteran officer called Mikihisa, who had taught her in the ways of bow and knife. _And I know __**she's**__ good so…_ Aside from that, all the chi-blockers aboard _Dragon's Fang_ and the ship's most skilled firebenders.

_Forty Yuyan, three-hundred chi-blockers and a hundred of our best firebenders, all of them trained in the art of sneaking and assassination. _He thought, taking in hundreds of outfits exactly like his own.

"Alright men. We'll be arriving in the Northern Water Tribe in an hour. I'd like to debrief you on your mission. First off though, you may have noticed the slight difference in your outfits: the firebenders are completely white, the chi-blockers have sky blue oxygen tanks while the Yuyan's are a deep grey. The green eyes of the mask will not interfere with your perception of these colors." He told them, giving them a moment to look around and identify each other.

"Chi-blockers will _always _stay with their beforehand assigned partner. You're good, but you powers will really only be useful when you _outnumber_ a bender. If you don't, _run_. Firebenders and Yuyan are also paired together. Likewise, you will remain with your partner at all times. The remaining sixty firebenders will work in fifteen four-men teams. Clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The chorused.

Zuko nodded. "Now, as for the plan..."

((*))

"And here we go." Hahn muttered beside him as he saw the outer wall quiver under the impact of the Fire Nation's trebuchet shots.

"Scared?" Sokka mocked, more humor than snide in his voice.

Hahn snorted. "No way. Are you, peasant?"

"Of course I am. It's a fleet of a hundred ships, ten of which are Imperial class. Do you have any idea how many crew members they have? I do. It's _lots_." Sokka deadpanned.

Hahn rolled his eyes. "Just don't die out there. We have unfinished business regarding Yue's marriage."

"Yeah, sorry about that, but all of my tribe's warships and men are kind of a better 'perk' than your daddy's three-hundred spears. No offense." Well, he had to make a case didn't he? Besides, Hakoda would welcome an alliance with the Nothern Tribe. Win-win.

"Couldn't you just have paired your sister with Yakone or somethi- there goes the outer wall!"

"Don't worry. Yet. They're not through the moat between the outer and inner wall yet." And they won't, if the way their waterbenders were stinging the ships below the waterline was anything to go by.

_Frigates. Fast, small, and strike hard._ He recalled from his studies the past days._ Not equipped for situations where there is too little space to maneuver, though, and not equipped with anti-sinking mechanisms like the Imperial classes are. _The Water Tribe hadn't really participated in the war, but they'd kept their eyes and ears open.

And that was four frigates down and sinking in the moat, and soon after the inner wall was pelted by trebuchet fire from the ships just arriving. _They're not wasting any holes in our defense. _

Standing on top of said inner wall, Sokka commanded a clear view of the battle. He saw their longboats and waterbenders on the wall move out to counter the frigates. Two of the metal monstrosities shot forward through the moat in a sudden burst of speed and smashed into the inner wall. They exploded, and Sokka and Hahn leaped off. They were caught on the other side by Katara and Pakku. As soon as he was set down beside them, he reported.

"We're holding up pretty good, but we need those walls back up fast." Katara and Pakku nodded and got to it. They, and a score of other waterbenders, rebuilt the inner wall in no time. The outer was beyond their reach. _Let them pour into the moat, it will only make trapping them easier._

"Sokka!" Hahn called, rushing over. "They're sending in the Imperial class ships! Their man outnumber is three to one!"

_Yikes. Those are harder to trap… _ He thought, but then he saw the snowflakes drifting through the air. He grinned. _Weapons __**do**__ just fall out of the sky, you know._

((*))

Up on the walls, Aang was bouncing everywhere. The waterbenders and spearman were throwing everything they had at the imperial warships and Aang was using his airbending to give any and all projectile launched at the ships a boost (and slow anything coming _from_ the ships). He had been doing so all through the day, never ceasing, and as dusk approached their foe started to retreat.

_They're afraid. _Aang mused. _Afraid of the moon. _He couldn't blame them. Katara had told him about bloodbending, and it made him shudder, but it was a necessary evil. _For now._ He'd outlaw it as soon as the war was done.

Doing a quick once over, Aang deduced the ups and downs of the day. The ups were, they'd sunk fifteen frigates and two Imperial Class ships. The downs were, they had nine to go and the frigates, which they previously believed numbered about a hundred, were in fact much closer to the two-hundred.

_But we can beat them. _Aang thought resolutely. _Tonight is the full moon. We can do this. All we have to do is outlast them, and we can. The chief has ships circling around the fleet to cut off their supply chain._

He opened his glider and flew off toward the chief's palace, where he would meet with the rest to discuss their next move. As he flew, he took in the city below him. The canal system had been extended while the sidewalks had been made smaller. The houses were different too. Their walls had been rounded to make an array of circles, and the doors and windows had been barred shut with thick ice. The houses were connected by walkways of ice that extended from the roofs and all four cardinal directions. Every one of them was manned by spearmen and at least one waterbender.

To top it off, they had made is so that from the walls to the palace the city went _uphill_, making sure that every house could strike at the houses in the tiers below them in case those were taken.

'_They're not getting this city without blood' _Sokka had told Aang. _'For every man they kill, they'll lose twenty and gain little to no ground.'_

As Aang landed at the palace he was immediately engulfed by Katara. "You made it back alright." She said, delighted.

"You totally kicked butt out there, Aang!" Sokka said, grinning.

Even Pakku seemed pleased with him. "A true Avatar, young Aang." Aang smiled and thanked them, but the words tasted bitter.

((*))

Lying in the arms of his partner, Miki waited. The plan was simple: several frigates would attack and damage their enemies defenses vigorously, while all the 'White Creeps'(as they had been so charmingly dubbed by most of the crew) would sneak in and lie amongst the snow in the plains behind the inner wall, covered by a white blanket. Only the Firebender-Yuyan pairs were involved, as they would weaken the Water Tribe defenses from the inside, letting the Chi-Blockers in.

Of course, laying about in the snow was not exactly advisable, so it was the firenders' duty to keep their non-bending counterpart warm. Miki saw the sense in it but…

_This is just to awkward. _He decided. He glanced at his partner, a man twice his size, really, and whispered.

"How long?" He asked. The man just grunted softly in reply. _Strong and silent type. Great._

The man stirred and silently got up, his mechanic arm and leg making no sound. _That wasn't the case when he joined this invasion. Damn thing kept me up half the night._

But the new prosthetic limbs were altered for stealth and for the cold climate. They would serve, no doubt. The man, _Suta, his name is Suta,_ started moving toward the inner wall, silent as the grave.

Miki followed, his sharp ears picking up the sound of water tribe guards being assassinated by his fellow Yuyan. _Twenty pairs to move into the city and kill the guards and whoever they come across, twenty pairs to destroy the walls._

"That's the last of the guards on the walls." Miki remarked in his soft voice. He turned to Suta. "You'd better be all they cracked you up to be."

Suta merely grunted in reply and took of his mask, revealing and intricate tattoo on his forehead. He took a deep breath, and the tattoo flashed.

The wall didn't stand a chance.

((*))

"Sounds like the wall didn't make it." Mai remarked dryly as she and Zuko hid amongst the snow. Zuko got up silently, undistinguishable from all the other 'White Creeps.'

"That's our cue." He told her. "We're moving out."

She sighed, getting up herself. "You're such a bore when you're on duty, Zuko." _Where are those two? _She wondered.

A giggle from a large pile of snow to her right had her rolling her eyes. _Very professional, Ty Lee._ She kicked the pile.

"Fun's over." Ty Lee's curvaceous form emerged from the snow, dressed in white like them all, followed by Zhao, dressed in his regular armor.

And so they went. Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko stuck to the shadows while Zhao walked down de streets undisturbed, a decoy. They met no resistance, any guards they found were not paying attention and were taken out by the White Creeps before they even spotted the distracting decoy. _Probably assumed we'd never get here. _Mai thought.

The chief's palace was guarded, but nothing they could not either sneak past or take out without notice. Finally, they reached a small round door.

"This is the place?" Zuko asked. Zhao nodded.

"The spirit oasis is behind this door. All we have to do is get the white fish with the black spot in a sack, and the waterbenders will be powerless to stop us." _Which means, easy victory. _

Zuko went through first, then Zhao and Ty Lee. Mai brought up the rear. As she went through the door, she felt the temperature rise and entered a lush garden with ponds. A small island at the end of the garden held their target. But as they started to approach, a weapon soared overhead.

Mai spotted it and intercepted it with a knife, making it drop to the ground. During this brief exchange, two elderly men, two young girls, a young man (who was the one that had thrown the weapon, a boomerang) and a small boy had appeared to block their path.

When she saw the arrow tattooed on the boy's forehead she felt her blood chill. _Avatar. The Great Foe._

"We expected you here." One of the girls stated, a girl with a braid.

"Really now?" Zhao replied. "Doesn't really matter, you'll all die here." _As good a cue as any._

Mai charged forward while beside her Zuko and Zhao summoned their fire. She threw several knives at the group in general to scatter them, but the Avatar just knocked the projectiles down with a gust of wind. Zuko and Zhao seized the opening in the boy's stance and launched the fire they had summoned directly at the Avatar. The waterbenders moved to protect him, but a few well placed knives forced them to interrupt their movements, lest they become pincushions.

The Avatar whipped up a flimsy wall of air and water in the short time he had and it blocked the strike for the most part. He was, however, knocked back into the pond at the back, looking winded.

_Precious seconds. _Mai thought. With no air interfering…

She threw her knives, aiming for the two waterbenders. They dodged and blocked, but she kept throwing. Ty Lee used the window of opportunity to strike the elderly man, effectively cutting of his bending abilities.

It was then that they both jerked to a halt. Mai could not move her limbs and she felt her heart ache. With a chilling feeling, she realized the rumor was all to true. _Azula's prisoners were right. They Tribe has mastered this 'bloodbending.' _She turned her gaze to the waterbender holding them. _But it's not easy._

The girls brow was beaded with sweat and her entire body was quivering under the strain of holding them.

A bright light flashed and thunder roared.

((*))

_One shot wasted, two left. _Zuko thought as Katara hastily threw up a water shield to block the lightning. It saved her from the worst of it, but the action forced her to relinquish Mai and Ty Lee. Ty Lee wasted no opportunity and dove for Katara, instantly blocking the chi in both arms by hitting her along the shoulder and back. When Sokka charged in to aid his sister, he was thrown off by a fireball from Zhao, after which he was assaulted by Mai's knives.

Zuko noted that the chief, had drawn his bone machete and was charging him and Zhao. _Thinks we're preoccupied. Thinks this is the only thing he can do._

_Fool. _Zuko went through the motions, determination to strike this man down clearing out all other thoughts, lightning roared and he struck flesh.

"Yue!" _Why in Agni's name did she have to jump in front of his target?_

((*))

Zhao saw the girl with white hair go down and the moon started _flickering_. _She's connected to the moon._ He realized with a start.A deafening roar interrupted his musings. The pond at the end of the garden, which housed their target, lit up with an unearthly blue glow. From it rose the Avatar, surrounded by glowing water, his eyes and tattoos alight.

_Time to scram. _Zhao concluded. Zuko called for a retreat and the girls came rushing. They were through the door before the water burst through the wall in pursuit. A clawed arm of water lashed out, and the foursome bolted two ways. He and Ty Lee were forced to the right, escaping into the city. Mai and Zuko were left behind at the ice field in front of the palace.

The enormous monster of water seemed not to care either way, as it slowly moved forward through the city, lashing out randomly with water. With a jolt, Zhao realized it was going for the fleet.

((*))

Sokka rushed through the holes in the wall, leaving the warmth of the spirit oasis behind. _Where is that bastard? _He spotted the man in white, and deduced by built that is was the one that had shot Yue down.

"Hey!" He called. Both of his opponents turned to him, and the woman reached for her knives. The other stopped her, holding up a hand. Sokka rushed forward and made to strike. The man dodged, but Sokka persevered, lashing at the man again. Again, to no avail and tears gathered in his eyes.

_He killed her. He killed her and I can't even touch him! _He dropped his weapon and tackled the man to the ground. Now straddling his waist, Sokka ripped at the mask. _I'll look you in the eye when I slit your throat, you bastard!_

Ripping the mask off, he froze. _That's the guy with the dragon! The one from the Southern Air Temple! _Closer inspection of the single furious eye that regarded him had him freeze completely. _It can't be-_

The man used his distraction to knock him back and leap to his feet. Now standing over him, Lee looked down with a cold expression.

Sokka was stunned. "B-but, you're Lee! You're one of the good guys!" White hair flashed through his mind and his bewilderment turned into rage. "And you _killed_ her!"

Lee sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Sokka. I truly am. She was never our target, _none_ of you were." He looked out into the city, where the giant monster had reached the inner wall, which they had cracked and were using as a landing zone for troops. He beckoned to the woman. "Let's go, Mai, we have to stop that thing."

The woman, Mai, droned from behind her mask. "And how do you intend to do that?"

"I'll think of something. Always do." He turned to Sokka. "We'll finish this another time, Sokka. Until then, stay alive." And with that they moved off, leaving Sokka in the snow.

That's how Katara found him, sobbing in the snow, grief and anger written all over his face.

((*))

"Think you can take _that _on?" Miki asked his partner dryly, both of them standing atop what was left of the inner wall. Suta merely shrugged and sucked in a breath. A white beam of light shot from his forehead and struck the giant monster. The resulting explosion was enormous, but had little effect. The monster just continued swatting men and equipment like flies.

_It only pissed it off._ Miki thought wryly. _Kinda looks like a Koi fish- what the heck?!_

His limbs froze. He turned his eyes to his left, where a man had appeared. The man was smiling, but his eyes were full of malice. "Good evening, gentleman. This is where you die." The man curled his fingers and he felt his heart ache. Beside him, Suta aimed a beam at their foe but could not hit him. Instead, the ground between them and the bender exploded in shards of ice.

It gave him momentary freedom and he immediately drew his knives. Beside him, Suta had a large shard of ice embedded in his right kidney and his legs were shaking dangerously. Miki dropped one of his knives and reached out to help him, but his limbs froze again.

Unable to do anything, he watched Suta fall from the wall and plummet into the cold water below, where their ships were being battered by the monster now. He tore his head around to face his foe. The waterbender had quickly erected a wall of ice to block the explosion and the debris and was glaring at Miki, colder than the ice beneath his feet.

The man clenched his open hand into a fist and Miki's heart stopped.

((*))

Reaching the ice fields before the inner wall, Zuko and Mai ground to a halt. They'd made good time thanks to the ice bridged that spanned between the buildings of the city, but that only meant he'd had little time to cook up a plan.

_Think, think! What would Azula do?_ He snorted despite the mess they were all in. _Light is on fire. Doesn't matter that it's water, she'd find a way. _That made him pause. _Lighting water on fire…_

He waved Mai off. "Go find Ty Lee and Zhao. They should be near." Mai nodded and pointed.

"There they come sir."

Zuko turned his head and saw the pair running toward them. Ty Lee was fine, but a broken arrow protruded from Zhao's shoulder. When they joined the prince the man scoffed at Zuko's pointed glance. "Just a flesh wound. Not even all that deep."

Zuko nodded and turned to the monster just beyond the wall, which was sweeping its arms to throw out waves ten times as large as their biggest ships.

He went through the motions again, Azula's instructions going through his head, as they did every time. _"Clear your mind, focus on one thing and one thing only. Emotions are a burden, be rid of them. Separate the positive and negative energy, and smash them together to form lightning. Aim, release. Fried foe."_

He struck the monster, looked like a koi fish, really, and the lightning was conducted smoothly by the water.

An unearthly roar shook the world and in an instant the monster materialized before him. It lashed out at them, but they all managed to evade it. It was then that Zuko noticed the Avatar in the monster's chest, glowing.

_That just put a whole new dimension to this thing. _Recalling all the things he had read about what the Avatar State could do, and deducing that this had to be one of the two great spirits that were housed in the Water Tribe, Zuko decided there was only one course of action. "Mai, Ty Lee!" He called. "Get to the ships and order a complete retreat! We can't win this!"

The girls rushed past the fish as fast as they could, covering fire from Zuko and Zhao ensuring they got passed, not that it was really needed. The fish only had eyes for Zuko. Beside him, Zhao chuckled darkly under his breath. "Let's show this oversized fish the power of fire!" He exclaimed, launching an inferno from his fists.

Zuko nodded and added his own fire. It evaporated the creature's left arm, which meant there was a small opening until it regenerated. _It's strong, but not fast. _"Now!" Zuko exclaimed. They wouldn't get another shot, their fire quickly burning out due to the lack of sun. Both the men bolted for the opening, using the fire within them to speed their movements. As they passed the Avatar without issue, Zuko almost thought they'd make it in one piece.

He was wrong. A cutting sound went through the air and he turned his head to find a claw extending toward him with rapid speed. _Crap. _

Blood flowed.

((*))

_I hate snow. _Zhao thought. _It's cold, wet, and your blood is all to visible on it._

Before him, Zuko's eyes were wide as the day they'd had their first training session. It might have something to do with the claws of water sticking out of his torso. He coughed blood and smiled through what were no doubt bloodied teeth. _End of the line. _

"Run," He rasped. "I'll hold him off." The boy did not move, frozen like the land around him. _This is not time to freeze, lad._

Zhao turned, his torso protesting the move and he grabbed placed his hand on the monster, that had moved up right behind them. With a grunt, he took a deep breath.

_The sun on your skin enhances the chi in your body, the air you breath turns it into fire that is guided by your chi. You transport the chi out of your body, and the fire goes with it._

_But there is only so much chi you can expel, you need most of it inside. Having it ignite in your body…_

His arm blackened and cracks appeared on it, a bright orange light pooling out of it. A moment later, his arm exploded violently from the elbow down, destroying a third of the fish and knocked the remainder back half a hundred meters.

_Not enough, but it buys us time. _He rose to his feet and kicked the lad in front of him. "Go." He told him. They boy shook his head, but Zhao was not about to be swayed. "GO!" He roared with what little strength he had left. Behind the prince, a shadow moved to grasp the boy by the shoulder. _Jee. Good man, good friend. Take him away._

Zhao turned to the monster that had regenerated behind them, poising for another go. He started out toward the fish, a hesitant walk at first, then a brisk pace till it ended in a run. His labored breathing threw blood with every exhale, but he was beyond caring.

He thought of many things as he neared the monster. Of his life, of his friends, of his teachers Jeong Jeong and Iroh, of his student, Zuko, the boy he was saving. _Our nation, our future._ He thought of his dream to conquer the North Pole, and wondered when that dream had become one he was willing to share. _I set out to destroy the moon and the tribe, but I'll settle for you, Avatar!_

As he jumped into the fish, igniting all the chi in his body, he thought of a young girl and a ridiculous future that would never be.

((*))

"He's dead, my lord!" Jee had said, dragging Zuko along by his collar. "Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!" Is what Jee had said, two hours ago as they fled. Now, on the deck of Dragon's Fang in the depth of night, Zuko's eyes had spend their tears, but the heartache did not.

_He's dead because of me. _Zuko thought. He looked to the ocean below and saw wreckages and bodies floating and sinking on the tide, more than he could count. _They're all dead because of me._

He stuffed his dao in what little space the canoe he was preparing could provide. Deeming it done, he made to get one so he could lower it to the sea.

"Exile won't bring them back." He almost smiled. _Mai. She knows me too well._

"I failed them, Mai. I have dishonored myself and my nation. I have disobeyed a direct command of the Fire Lord. Only exile can atone for that." He explained to her, heart wrenching at the thought of never seeing his home, his family, again, but he crushed any feeling of self-pity. _This pain is the least of what you deserve._

"There's always the _scion_ road." She reminded him. "Fire Lord Iroh will set you a task, and you must complete it to regain your honor. Easy, for someone as good as you."

Zuko smiled bitterly. "Yes, but even should a scion fail, they will gain great honor in death. I don't _deserve_ that." He turned away from the canoe to face her. "This is goodbye, Mai."

She shook her head, denying it. "What about Toph? Are you going to abandon her too? Without you to marry to, Lao will not support us. You'll shame her. Do you really want to do that to her?" Her voice was uncharacteristically heated.

"That won't happen." Zuko assured her. "Three years ago, when the pact was just made, it would have. But now, Lao has already transferred too much power to us. He can't abandon us. Furthermore, his daughter is _here,_ far from where he can secure her. She'll be safe." _She will be. She must be. _"And the Earth Kingdom won't see this as her shame, only mine. She'll not be dishonored." _Doesn't mean she'll like it, though. Almost has me hoping she'll never find me, I'll lose more than my honor._

Mai closed the distance and looked him in the eye. "You're really going to do this, aren't you?" She asked softly, voice resigned. Zuko reached for her, but she turned away.

"Fifteen minutes." She declared, voice quivering and shoulders shaking almost unnoticeably. "Then I will tell captain Jee that you are missing from your chambers and one of the canoes is gone."

Zuko hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed lightly. "Thank you, Mai. I'll make it up to you. Somehow."

With that he lowered the canoe. As Mai disappeared from sight, his sharp ears picked up a strangled sob. He bit his lip to keep from crying himself. _You deserve this. _He thought.

As he drifted off on the tide, an old man's cold voice echoed through his head.

_Your suffering has scarcely begun._

((*))

Azula tried her best to keep it together as the most powerful man in the known world paced before her, heat rolling off him in waves. "You will find him." Iroh declared. "You will take Mai and Ty Lee and whatever you need and _you will find him_."

Azula nodded, pleased. _Nothing I'd rather do. Oh Zu-Zu, how could you be this stupid?_

Well, not exactly stupid. Zuko had played it smartly, that much had to be said.

He knew he could not mount an invasion to take the Norht Pole, as only the Fire Lord could order that all by himself himself, but _any_ admiral that was backed by a member of the royal bloodline had the authority do so without the Fire Lord's interference. _Just so happened you knew one that would love the idea of taking down the North Pole._

Furthermore, he had placed crewmen from _Dragon's Fang_ in every rookery in the invasion fleet and in the town of Zakura to prevent any message from the Fire Lord objecting of getting through to the invasion. _Messages that clearly indicated what an Avatar could do when bagged by a great spirit._

But Zuko had had the letters burned before anyone, not even himself, ever had the chance to read them. _You can't reveal a secret you don't know. Loyal to you before the Fire Lord, indeed._

After the invasion had failed, it went from bad to worse. Seeing as Zuko had stripped most of the Colonies fighting fleet for his invasion, and two-hundred-and-sixty-three ships of the original three hundred had been lost, the colonies were practically defenseless. Because of that, Iroh was forced to take ships from elsewhere to get the colonies properly defended again, weakening their naval power globally.

And then, the south had _moved_. Hundreds of ships had sailed from the south coast of the Badgermole Sea and blocked off all sea traffic to the east. After that, they had landed a huge force of Earthbenders, several thousand strong, to sever the supply lines that extended over most of the northern shore of the sea. Supply lines to the army in the east.

They succeeded.

Final overview: a thinly spread naval force, hundreds of ships lost in the span of a few days, thousands of men dead and years of naval experience lost (not to mention that forty Yuyan and more than half the Fire Nation's chi-blockers were also gone), the Southern Earth Kingdom in open revolt and the bulk of the Fire Nation army was cut off from their supply lines by a newly made chain of stone fortresses, all connected by a wall that was thirty meters high at its lowest point.

They'd seen better years.

Azula had been bemused about where the south had gotten all those earthbenders from, until Iroh showed her the reports of the destroyed prison rigs.

"Be careful when traversing the Earth Kingdom, Azula. It's a hostile place. And note that we have received intelligence that the Avatar is swiftly coming down from the Norht, destination unknown. Be wary of him." Iroh was saying.

Azula nodded. "If I may ask, uncle, why are you here in Zakura?" _What are you doing in the Earth Kingdom, Fire Lord?_

"Hoping to catch your brother by the scruff of his neck, only to find him missing." Iroh grumbled before he smiled slightly. "Ozai's plans are far from foolish, you know. He once hoped to rule in the Fire Nation and have me conquer the Earth Kingdom, both of us doing what we did best. Now, that plan that never happened is put into action. I will whip the colonies into fighting shape and move on the south. I've already received hawks from the army to the east, stating that they are marching west toward this newly made fortress chain in order to smash it."

_Two-hundred-thousand men, all of them trained and lethal. The fruit, of a hundred years of war. _Azula thought, smiling. _They'll never know what hit them._

"After that is done, I intend to solidify our hold on the Earth Kingdom again, and wait for the comet." He looked Azula in the eye, an uncle's worry and love shining dimly, but evidently, in stern eyes. "Bring him back, Azula. I have already lost my son and wife. I'll _not_ lose any more of my family." He waved his hand, a clear dismissal.

As she went, Azula's thoughts turned to Miki. _You promised to be back in a few weeks at most, you bastard! You didn't have my leave to go missing in action! _Which practically meant dead, but she'd had her time to grief. Now was the time for action.

"I take it you want in?" Azula asked. Toph pushed off of a wall to her right, a small pack slung over her shoulder clothing more appropriate for travel adorning her small frame.

"Yeah. Sparky is not getting rid of me that easily." She answered. Azula was pleased. Numerous sparring matched in the weeks since the fleet departed had clearly shown her that Toph was a valuable asset to any force. _No wonder Zuko's so crazy about her._

"Let's find Mai and Ty Lee." Azula told her blind companion. "After that, we'll find my brother and knock some sense into him."

((*))

A/N: and that's the end of book one, Water. Series finale, so I thought I'd give you something to read. Next chapter won't be as long, probably around 4000-5000 words.

It's not as epic as it could be, I know. Please note that this is my third fic ever, and that it's been four years between fic number two and this one. I'm still learning the ropes.

I won't be able to write for about two weeks, so it'll be a while before I can update this baby. Sorry.

In the meantime, feel free to leave some feedback! I should tell you that book two only has about four things that absolutely _have _to happen, but is otherwise free range. Pairings you like, characters you want to meet, things you'd like to see happening, be they funny, serious or downright bizarre, you name it, I'll look into it.

Oh, before I forget: Toph's liberal teasing of Zuko was born from the fact that Ty Lee had given her seduction tips (as mentioned in chapter nine) and Toph strikes me as a person that his **no **shame.

Next: Zhao and Ty Lee?! Are you insane?!(yeah)

I get your problem, and I'll be frank: if it didn't have you freaking out, I'd be worried about you. I thought long and hard about whether or not I should implement the, uuh, 'scene', and eventually did it for several reasons:

To show that the world of Avatar has a very different moral compass to ours. It's a _medieval_ world. In such a society, girl's younger than Toph could be wed to man older than Iroh and it could be considered 'acceptable.' I wanted to illustrate this difference between morality, but felt a dialogue would not cut it. This, I hope, did.

To give both Ty Lee and Zhao more depth, and hoping that Zhao's death scene would be more emotionally charged.

Oh, the logic by the way is this: many researches worldwide have shown that women, initially, look for two thing in a partner of the opposite sex: a high social status and good looks. Second to that are personality and intelligence, but those only become apparent over time.

Ty Lee is shown, on multiple occasions, to be shallow and have a somewhat awkward moral compass where romance was concerned (flirting with ten guys at the same time, crushing on a water tribe barbarian, Sokka, about covers it).

Last but not least: they are about to go off to WAR. What would you be doing on your final night? Read a book?

Will I be writing weird stuff like this on a regular basis? Not unless you ask for it. I'm not really into it.

So, explanations and the like aside, kindly tell me what you think! To all those who reviewed the previous chapter: WOW. You really made my days. :D Hope you'll be so kind again, you really helped me a lot!


	12. Chapter 12

I'm baaaaack! Did ya miss me? Sorry for the delay, I have no legitimate excuse.^^;

Thanks for the reviews guys, makes it fun writing all this. :D

I didn't like last chapter at all. Not because there was anything wrong in particular with the contents, but the length of it. Too much happened, all of it important, and many of it didn't get enough individual focus _because_ there was so much of it all.

So, from here on out, the chapters will be of a more manageable size, 4000 to 7000 thousand words or so, so that that I can work the details out a tad more. Thought I'd give you a heads up.

Oh, by the way: you might have noticed that despite the fact that Azula is the 'second' big character in this story (as indicated above) Zuko has about trice as much screen time. I'm gonna try to reverse this for the most part in book two, so more Azula (what? I ain't gonna get any better at writing her if I don't), less Zuko. If anyone's got issues with that, just let me know and I'll work something out for you.

On another note, just saying, not all waterbenders in the NWT are bloodbenders. Not even a tenth has the ability, and even less is proficient enough to use it in combat (at the time of the siege, that is). But my pov characters were always placed at key locations in the battle, and the water tribe would put the bloodbenders there to protect said key locations.

You can imagine a lot of them died.

((*))

Miki awoke when he heard the door to his cell collapse. It wasn't really a door, just an ice wall of which a piece was melted whenever someone needed to see him. There was an array of floor to ceiling bars between him and his visitor, but that would not protect him from this man. When he had first gotten here, he'd wondered how an ice prison was supposed to hold waterbenders, but soon found that the bars and walls were actually made of solid rock, one of the few rock structures in the city. Even if the walls were glazed in ice, in their element, no waterbender had ever broken the walls. No one knew what kind of rock they were made off anymore, and no one cared.

His visitor smiled at him, a horrible smile that held so many promises, and none of them good. All the bruises and aching muscles could atone to that.

"What do you want?" He rasped. The man, Yakone, had visited him every day since the despicable bloodbender had captured him on the inner wall. He absently wondered if his partner had survived his fall and gotten away.

_Suta. His name is Suta._

"Now, can't you greet me a tad more warmly? After all the time we spend together…" He made a clawing hand gesture and the rubber collar around Miki's throat tightened.

Ah yes, he hadn't mentioned that they had placed a rubber tube filled with water around his neck, had he? He had to commend them, it was very effective. The rubber was flexible enough to constrict with little effort on the waterbenders pat, but sturdy enough to keep the water in. He'd applaud them, were he not gasping for breath.

After thirty agonizing seconds the bind was released and he could breathe again. He caught his breath and addressed his visitor again, cautiously this time. _Don't forget your manners._ "What do you want from me, sir?"

Yakone smiled a venomous smile. "That's better." He all but purred. "We're taking you out on a stroll to the Northern Earth Kingdom." He informed him.

Miki, who had been sure he would die here, cold and miserable, felt faint hope flash. "You're releasing me?" He asked. _Too easy. _He thought as he saw a condescending smirk make its way across his captors face.

"Why, we might just do that, if you comply with our demands." Miki didn't like that smirk at all, but the chance of freedom, of seeing his lady again, was too much.

"What would you have of me?"

((*))

Aang ran water-wreathed hands over his legs and sighed as the pain slowly left them. Carefully administering what little healing powers he had to the irritated skin, he glanced at his side, where he knew a burn scar resided beneath his blue Water Tribe shirt.

Both injuries had been dealt by the same man, Zhao. "Getting prettier by the day."The young boy told Appa wryly. Beneath him the bison simply groaned into the endless blue sky.

He was lucky, Katara had told him, that he'd been floating above the ground, or he'd have been a goner.

In the aftermath of the explosion, waterbenders had quickly made their way to the fallen Avatar, only to find his legs so badly burned that they had to _freeze_ them, lest the flesh fall right of the bones. They had rushed him to the spirit oasis where Yugoda and Katara had worked on his legs for hours. They would melt a bit of the ice keeping his legs together away, quickly heal the revealed burn with water from the oasis, wait till it was strong enough to heal on its own (read: not fall off) and then repeat the process elsewhere on this legs, all the while fighting of frostbite.

It had taken hours of painful work to heal him, and several days of careful monitoring and constant treatment before he could move his legs again. The result wasn't pretty. His right leg was a gigantic burn scar all the way up to his knee and his left leg was even worse off, the scar ending at mid thigh.

"_Make sure to heal them over at least once every few hours, to be sure." _Katara had told him when he'd left the North Pole, heading south. Katara and Sokka were too important to be missed at this point, Katara being one of the strongest waterbenders and healers, Sokka rapidly becoming the best tactical mind the North Pole had to offer.

Most of the time, he slept on Appa's back and only woke up every once in a while to heal his legs. Appa knew the way to the Misty Palms Oasis, and would wake him if there was trouble.

Behind his eyelids, there was the clearing. It was always there, and there was always an Avatar to face him. He ignored them.

"_Well done Aang. You are one step closer to undoing the evil Sozin created."_ Roku had said.

"_You struck for the sake of the balance, like a true Avatar should. You did your duty, admirably." _Kyoshi had said.

"_I trust you know what you're doing, Avatar." _Were Kuruk's only sentiments.

Aang ignored them all, not wanting to think of it. He didn't want to think of what had happened North, did not want to think of all the dead.

_I was willing to kill a _few_ evil people to do my duty. The second I decided to interfere with this war, I knew it could be expected of me. _Aang thought. _I'm the Avatar, I can't be an Air Nomad. I _**can't. **

But he hadn't been prepared to murder _thousands_.Despite his bravado, Aang knew he was still an Air Nomad at heart.

_And I failed as an Air Nomad._

When he returned to the clearing after healing his legs, he found himself facing Kuruk. He was by far both Aang's most liked and most hated teacher. Kuruk didn't force him to be _anything_, **didn't** ask him to go out and fight, **didn't** ask him to betray his teachings.

Didn't ask him to kill. But it was not Kuruk he had come to meet.

"Can you get me Avatar Yangchen? It's kinda urgent." Kuruk just looked at him for a moment before nodding. The man erupted in bright blue light and when it darkened again, a woman sat on his place.

As a fellow Nomad, Aang had expected her to hold him in contempt. He had not expected her pitying expression. He decided to cut right to the chase, as Kyoshi had taught him at sword point. _You have no time to play every subtle game, young Avatar._

"How can an Air Nomad be an Avatar?" He asked her. "Airbending is detachment, but an Avatar is _forced_ to attach. Airbenders _don't_ partake in death, but an Avatar _must_." He swallowed the bile in his throat, blinking away tears. "How can I be _me_, and the Avatar, at the same time?"

His question was met with contemplative silence, Yangchen's expression now schooled into a blank, her robes rustling in a breeze he could not feel. "Why _can't_ you be?" She asked, midly. _Not a genuine question. _Aang could tell. _She's looking for confirmation of what she already thinks she knows._

"The war. To restore balance, I must force it to stop. Must stop them _all_, not just the Fire Nation, but the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes as well." He'd gone over this plenty of times with the other Avatars. It still hurt to say it out loud. _Will I one day have to face Katara and Sokka as enemies?_ "I can't do that as an Air Nomad, I can't do that without _hurting_ people, without _killing_ them. But there has to be another way!"

Yangchen was unmoved, her grey eyes emotionless. "Up North, you took many lives. Did that end the war?" That caught Aang slightly off guard.

_Never hesitate _Kyoshi had taught him. He wasn't about to. "No, it's only made it more complicated." Bumi had told him all about that when he'd been called down to Omashu. The gist of it was that the Fire Nation Army, stationed on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, had been cut off from the colonies by a huge wall that was made stronger every day. Furthermore, the Fire Nation ships were more thinly spread over the world due to their 'huge setback up North' as Bumi had dubbed it.

And then he'd been send off to the Misty Palms Oasis to meet some new allies of the mad king. Yippee.

"So clearly," Yangchen started. "killing, in and of itself, isn't stopping the war, or you'd think they'd have had enough of it by now. Aang, I have made many peaces during my life while maintaining the ways of an Air Nomad." Aang perked up and grinned.

"Great! So how did-"

"It involves killing." Yangchen cut him off. "You will not like it anymore than you like this."

"But you said you maintained our ways!" Aang protested. _She's not making any sense!_

"Yes. _Air Nomad's are to be detached from the world_. _Air Nomads_ _are to promote peace_, and _Air Nomads_ _do not partake in death_. These are our vows, but the temples have twisted them awry over the last several hundred years, so I will teach you their original meaning." She held up a finger and blustered right over his spluttered claims that the temples hadn't twisted _anything_ awry.

"Detachment from the world doesn't mean you separate yourself from it."A vein started throbbing on Aang's left temple.

"That's exactly what it means." Yangchen continued as if he had not spoken.

"It means that you don't let it _move_ you, confuse you. Air Nomad's have always been _scholars,_ before monks or warriors. An objective viewpoint was considered a virtue. Attachment to the world clouds your judgment, so it was decreed that we would detach ourselves. The modern interpretation would have all Air Nomad's separate themselves from the very world they were decreed to explore."

She held up another finger and moved along. "Air Nomad's do promote peace, by ensuring it is _achieved_, not by pacifism. To achieve peace, you have to stop wars. Can you stop wars, without fighting in it? Air Nomads promote peace by _ending_ conflicts."

"You can talk to them!" Aang agrued. "Make them see violence is wrong, and help them change their ways so they can live in peace!" Gyatso had always said so, but Yangchen shook her head.

"You are not that naïve anymore, Avatar Aang." She told him. He was about to protest but ground his teeth instead_. __They made a huge storm that tore through most of the Fire Nation, killing almost half its population. That's what they mean by 'The__ Act'_ Lin's voice echoed through his head. If everyone in the Fire Nation thought that of the Air Nomad's…

_I can never forgive them for what they did to my people, why should they forgive us for what we did to them? They'll not listen to reason. Not from me. I know this already._

Didn't make it any better, though. Yangchen held up a third finger. "Air Nomad's do not partake in death. Quite so, we go out of our way to avoid lethal force. But tell me Aang, if this war went on for another hundred years, how many more would die?"

He couldn't even imagine that many people. He understood where this was going, though. "But if I end this war this year, I will save many people in the long run. That's it, right?" Yangchen nodded.

"You tell me, Avatar Aang, by which of these roads do you not partake in death? By slaying many yourself to stop the bloodshed, or by staying your hand and watch as the world tears at itself for a century more?" She asked, eyes steel with an underlying sadness.

Aang already knew the answer, but instead told her "I must meditate on this." He bowed to her. "Thank you for your wisdom, elder sister." She bowed to him, a shallow bow, and vanished.

((*))

"Hey." And that already told Ty Lee that Mai was _very _worried, as she never initiated a conversation. Ever.

"Hey!" She greeted her friend, sitting up in her sleeping bag. "What's up?"

"How are you holding up?" Mai tried to sound casual and it would've worked on most people, but Ty Lee had been around the block.

"It was nothing, Mai." She assured her knife throwing friend. The girl wasn't buying it and gave her a stern look.

Ty Lee sighed, her smile becoming a tad more lopsided. "Honestly, it was just a bit of fun, nothing more. Don't worry."

"He was our friend." Mai stated. "Clearly more than that to you. And now he's dead."

It hurt, which didn't make sense. Zhao had been a bit of fun. They'd both agreed on that. All that talk of starting an martial arts school together was just that, talk.

It was talk and lust. Nothing more.

Her jaw set, she told Mai off. "I'm fine. It was nothing." She laid back down and turned away from Mai and Toph's soft snores. "Let's get some sleep." She heard the rustle of Mai's robes as she too lay down to rest.

It was talk and lust. Nothing more. Now if only her gut would stop twisting whenever she thought that, she'd be fine.

((*))

Opening his eyes, he was met with dull white stone and crisp cold air filled his lungs. For a brief moment of panic, he feared that he had been captured by the Water Tribe and dragged all the way back to the North Pole (which would still be preferable to Azula's wrath, if truth be told).

A second intake of breath calmed him down. _Thin_, cold air. He'd breathed this before. Turning in his bed, he faced the room he was housed in. A small old man with a bushy brown beard sat by the small window, snoring in his chair. Zuko sat up in his bed and cleared his throat.

The man started and opened his eyes. After adjusting his monocle, he blinked owlishly at Zuko.

"You," the Mechanist began. "are and idiot." He finished, gracelessly.

A vein throbbed at Zuko's temple. "Really now?" He ground out. "How'd do you figure that one, captain bushy?" Toph was rubbing off on him. Damn, his head _ached_.

The small man shrugged as he rose from the chair. "By figuring that whatever it is that you did, the result was severe hypothermia. You're lucky every woman between the age of twelve to forty was willing to warm you, or you'd be dead now." He told Zuko, stretching.

The young man paled. _If Toph hears about that- _she'd laugh at him, because she knew how uncomfortable it would have made him, had he been conscious. Still the very thought of elderly women... he shuddered.

The Mechanist grinned at him. "Don't worry, I only let the ones under twenty in. anyway!" Now his tone became more serious. "What is the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation doing _here,_ all by himself? I haven't seen you in _years _and then you pop up like this?"

Zuko looked down to the floor, not wanting to meet the man's eye. "I'm nobody's prince anymore…" He muttered. He'd failed. He'd failed them all.

The small man sighed. "So, it's voluntary exile then? Sad, that is." Zuko looked up at him, shocked. The man grinned mischievously. "I'm not called a genius for my slow wits, prince." He walked over to a small chest and dragged it over to Zuko's bed.

"I had this prepared while you were sleeping." He opened the lid with a grunt and showed Zuko an nice set of Earth Kingdom robes, very decent for peasant standards. "Your own clothes were ruined by the salt water, and whatever you were carrying with you on your canoe- it was a canoe, right? Almost didn't recognize it, it was that beat up. Anyway, all of it was lost, so you'll have to make do with this."

Which meant his dao were gone. He thanked the man and the Mechanist left the room to let him dress in peace.

Zuko sat on the bed for minutes, thinking of all the people he'd failed, all the people that he would likely never see again. His mother, father, little Sozin and Iroh, Mai, Ty Lee, Azula, Toph… Zhao…

After he'd dried his tears, he rose and got dressed. Crying wasn't going to make things better, and even if it did, he didn't _deserve_ better. That this man had shown him the kindness he had was already stretching it.

When he opened the door, the Mechanist was waiting for him. The old man smiled, kindly.

"Follow me." He said. "I believe we have some things do discuss."

_Do we? _Zuko honestly wondered what more could be said. He was led through hallways, all the windows opening to an endless grey sky. Sometimes, he glanced someone gliding by. Thinking he glimpsed a wheelchair under one of the gliders, he decided to enquire.

"How's your son doing?" He asked the small man walking beside him. The man beamed proudly.

"Getting wittier by the day. He'll have my head in our discussion before you know it, I assure you." The man exclaimed proudly. "And he's very bright, soon he'll be an asset to all my works."

_Sounds like that when he talks about Azula. _Zuko mused. _And like Zhao when he talked about me… don't go there._

They entered a small, messy office. Scrolls and blueprints where strewn all over the floor and all the shelves were piled to their breaking point.

"I see some things never change." Zuko remarked dryly. The Mechanist chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, true. Then again, most things never do." Zuko felt there was something important there, some undertone he failed to catch.

The mechanist seated himself behind his desk and faced Zuko over laced fingers, his prosthetic fingers poking out awkwardly. His gaze was uncharacteristically intense, but Zuko was used to such stares at court.

"… as I said before, I had already deduced that exile was your situation. There are two ways to go about your disgrace, if what my employers have told me is correct: you can live in exile till death, or chose the path of the Scion. You have chosen the latter. What do you intend to do?"

"Dig a hole and pull it in after me." Zuko replied. "I just want to disappear." _Disappear and suffer my disgrace alone, as I should._

The Mechanist nodded, as if confirming something. "Well, I know a place where you can." He gestured to a map on the wall. Zuko glanced at the marked area on the map and hummed thoughtfully.

"The Si Wong Dessert? Why there?" He enquired, though a thousand good answers already came to mind.

"It's remote, Fire Nation activity is limited, and Sha-Mo, leader of the Sandbenders there, is a good man. He will take you in regardless of your nation, as long as you show him respect." The man informed Zuko. "After all, no sane army would want to fight Sandbenders in a desert. You might as well jump off a cliff and save yourself the march." He looked Zuko in the eye.

"There are also rumors of a _library_ there. A vault, full of valuable information, attended by a knowledge spirit." _Should you ever wish to redeem yourself, there's your bargaining chip._

Zuko bowed to the man. "I cannot thank you enough for your kindness. I will depart at once."

The mechanist shook his head, smiling indulgently. "Youth. Always in a hurry. No, you will be fed, you'll rest and _then _you can depart."

"But-"

"No buts young man." The old man's voice was stern, but he looked like he was holding back laughter. Then, he pulled a clothed object from beneath the table. "I recall you being a swordsman, correct?" He tore the cloth away, revealing a short sword in its sheath.

The sword had a small handle clearly meant for one hand. There was a spherical knob of bronze on the end of the grip, and the rain guard was also made of bronze. He pulled the blade out to study it more closely. The blade itself was a little longer than his forearm, double edged with a sharp point and made of iron.

_Like the really old swords, displayed on the wall of the palace, before we made them single edged and curved._

"You enjoy it? I forged it to be similar to this artifact." He walked over to where and old sword, similar to the one Zuko was holding. "I found it in the depths of the Temple's vaults. Most living here don't know about it. it's better that way."

… _can't be… _"But," Zuko started, voice faint. "this is an old Fire Nation sword. They used to look just like this. How can it be in the vaults _here_?"

The Mechanist looked at him oddly, a brow quirked. "Really now? Because you see, the scrolls and paintings stored there indicate that the sword design was a 'classic Air Nomad sword'."

Which made no sense. Why would ancient Air Nomad's wield old Fire Nation swords? He looked at the map again, thoughts on his destination.

_Who better to ask than He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things?_

((*))

_Only then will you comprehend your brother's pain._

A fist of flame rushed at her face and she cried out.

Azula opened her eyes to greet Agni's rays. Sitting up in her sleeping bag, her sturdy green robes rustling with every move, she looked around. Mai was asleep beside Ty Lee, both having exchanged their regular clothing for something more Earth Kingdom in style. In Mai's case, it meant she wore the exact same robes she usually wore, though instead of hues of red her robes were now shades of green.

Ty Lee had dressed in a simple sleeveless tan colored robe, tight fitting and short. Azula herself had decided to go with a sturdy black robe, tied at the waste by a green sash, and black pants. All of them had exchanged their usual footwear for sandals.

_Except for Toph._ Azula thought as the girl a awoke with burp. "I'm giving that one an eight." She remarked coolly.

"Oh c'mon! That was classy work!" The small girl protested.

"Too predictable." Azula dismissed, turning to the mountains ahead. If Zu-Zu escaped in a canoe, the current would have swept him toward the Northern coast. A needle in a haystack, had the not had Toph.

"Pack you gear, we're moving at once." _Let's find my idiot brother._

((*))

Hey guys, sorry for the wait and the short chapter. I'll try to update every two weeks at least, sorry for the drop in speed. School's started again.

For those of you wandering about all these bits of history I'm throwing around since chapter three: they'll come together in their own time. Gotta leave you guys some things to wonder about, neh? ;)

As for those of you who are curious as to what the hell the dragons are up to this whole time, I remind you that they do not take part in the war. They are Agni's creatures, remember? Spirits and all that jazz. Besides, the remind me of crocodiles. Huh? Yeah. Big reptiles and stuff. Crocodiles, if memory serves me, are particularly lazy creatures. They eat every few weeks or so and laze about in the sun in the meantime. It's made them one of the most successful species on the planet. I figure dragons are similar in behavior.

Aang is struggling with what _he_ wants to be and what the _world_ wants him to be. He wants to be a peaceful air monk, while the world wants him to be a WMD. He's trying to find a balance, as is in his job description. I'm curious to know how you find the Aang I'm trying to make. Hope he's not to ooc.

**Important: **well, to me anyway. I put up a poll in my profile, asking my readers a question. It comes down to this: When you read chapter 1 of Blaze, did you expect the story would develop into what it is today? Or were you expecting something else? Were you pleasantly surprised, of horrified to find this? I'd like to know if I pleasantly surprised you, or bored you with the same old stuff you read everywhere.

For those of you who can't (anonymous reviewers), sorry. Fanfiction doesn't allow that.

If this works, I might make more polls in the future.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Apologies for the long wait, I had difficulty finding the words, school started again with a vengeance and I'm pretty much sick.

Thanks for all the feedback! :D

It's come to my attention that the name of the dragon Shaw is actually written Shao. For the sake of continuality, I will still refer to the red dragon as Shaw still.

((*))

_Brother, I bring you glad tidings._

_The excavations of the vaults in the Lonely Sea are going far smoother than we had anticipated and all the artifacts we have retrieved so far are mind blowing. _

_For one, we have found objects made of Ying, and soon we will unveil the secret to making our own. _

_It is everything we could hope for, brother. The metal is light as a feather, and despite the frail state the artifacts are in after all these years, they are still stronger than most of the metals know to us. Once we manage to mass-produce it, our armies will be able to resume sharing the Fire Nation's glory with the rest of the world. _

_We have also come across scrolls that teach of more Firebending styles than the Coast and Caldera style. The dialect is old, and it will take a while yet before they are fully understood, but we are positive that they are useful._

_The subjection of the Earth Mongrels is one step closer. Let us end this war once and for all, with the Fire Nation victorious over all!_

_On another note, the Fire Sages have gauged Sozin's chi. According to them, he surpasses both Azula and Zuko put together, and his chi is not yet fully developed at that. Give it fifteen years and he'll blast the walls of Ba Sing Se for you, wouldn't that be nice?_

_And his numbers are coming along great as well._

_Burning beside you from afar,_

_Ozai, son of Azulon,_

_Master of State._

Iroh snorted as he finished the letter. "Oh, by the way, little Sozin is probably the strongest firebender our family has produced in three-hundred years. Insufferable man." He chuckled to himself. When his laughter subsided, he closed his eyes and inhaled the spring air.

Zakura was a very nice place to be indeed. The air was sweet with the scent of stirring life and the sea, awakening after a long winter. The leaves were a beautiful pink and reminded him of a poem Ozai had once composed for Ursa, though he could not find the words right now. Sitting amongst the trees in a simple lavender robe with a black sash and having forgone a topknot altogether, he didn't look much a Fire Lord.

Or he wouldn't, were he not flanked by two enormous lazy dragons. Iroh contemplated Ozai's words. The excavations going well was a pleasant surprise. The Mechanist's suggestions must really have helped. Good. The man must remain useful, lest Iroh be forced to order something… unsavory.

But the 'side note' about Sozin told Iroh a lot more, and he smiled fondly. His little brother was smarter than Iroh gave him credit for.

_Give it fifteen years and he'll blast the walls of Ba Sing Se for you, wouldn't that be nice?_

That offhand comment was no accident. Iroh was the lord of a vast Empire, but there was a reason that the world had never been united in all its history: a ruler could not be everywhere at once. Zuko and Azula had both been trained to fill that gap, were still being trained to do so. Zuko would rule the Fire Nation after Iroh's passing, Azula would hold the Southern Earth Kingdom with all its intrigues and power plays, and Sozin would rule Ba Sing Se in due time.

It was a long term strategy, a risky gambit with little margin for error, but it was the best they had. Azulon had intended for every member of Sozin's line to be useful. Iroh liked to entertain the thought that Azulon had spared Zuko out of kindness, when nothing would have stopped him from slaying the child, but Iroh knew his father better than that.

Azulon had spared Zuko because he was essential to the plan. And apparently, Ozai knew of that plan, though he had never been made privy to such information by either Iroh or Azulon, the only people who knew of it.

_And now the very linchpin of the plan is missing… _Iroh rubbed his temples. Zuko was adept at survival, and had a way of growing on people. He would be fine. Fine.

_Though I am going to smack him when he gets back. _

Iroh knew he would have to leave Zakura soon. Meeting with generals and answering letters in the morning, training and plotting in the afternoon, and relaxing in the evening (he had found such wonderful shells, he was sure little Sozin would love them) was all very nice, but he had to march soon.

Where and how, that was the question.

"Good Shaw, shall we have another spar?" He asked the dragon next to him, but it snorted in reply. _Had enough, clearly. _

Well, it wasn't like Iroh could hold back against a dragon, now could he? He turned to his other side where Ran was lazing and stared at her until the blue serpent opened an eye and looked at him, wearily.

Iroh grinned and he swore he could hear the dragon heave an amused sigh. It rose and made for the boulders near the coast. Iroh chuckled and grabbed the spear he had been practicing with earlier. Most people in the Fire Nation just assumed that Iroh, being Fire Lord, used nothing but his bending (and that was not something he was eager to change) but his army knew better.

With just his bending, Iroh was a force to be reckoned with. With his spear he was a living, breathing death threat.

Iroh reached the rocks upon which they would fight, seeing at once that the dragon had chosen its battlefield smartly. A flying, flexible dragon had no quarrel with this landscape, but a small man would be constantly looking for balance on the uneven rocks. _No wonder it gets along so well with my niece._

Iroh wasted no time and lit the metal spear in his hands on fire and lashed out at his foe, a streak of flame flying the dragon's way. Though large, the dragon was extremely nimble and easily evaded. It coiled on itself and launched like a widow snake and Iroh focused all the fire power he could summon in the tip of his spear and launched it with a thrust, a small concentrated burst of light shooting out.

Ran had no time to evade, and so opened its mouth and unleashed an enormous torrent of fire that bore all the colors of a rainbow. When it connected with Iroh's shot, the resulting explosion was deafening.

Iroh jumped back and glanced at his spear, cursing inwardly. The Trishula spear he used for war was built and designed to be capable of resisting his flames, but the Yari he was using now was a common infantry spear, and it showed. Already, after but one focused burst, the spear was showing signs of brittleness and the tip was severely charred.

Iroh focused on the dragon across from him. Ran had coiled into itself again and was waiting to strike. Bundling up like that made it an easy target, but it also allowed for a powerful launch…

"Lord Iroh! Are you alright, my lord?!" A few frantic guardsmen had arrived at the battlefield, it seemed. "We heard an explosion. Are you injured?" Iroh turned to them and grinned.

"Just an old man practicing combat with a master." He assured the guard and turned to Ran. He bowed, his hands forming the flame while his spear rested in the crook of his elbow. "Thank you, for sharing your wisdom with me."

The dragon inclined its head in reply. Iroh addressed the head guardsman, who snapped to attention at the sound of his voice.

"Summon the generals." The men scurried of to do his bidding.

When they'd gone, Iroh leaned heavily on his spear and sighed, feeling older and more lost than he ever felt.

_fly beside me now_

_A bright petal cast adrift_

_Lost to all who look._

Ah, yes, those where the words. _Find him, Azula. _

((*))

The room where the Golden Egg stood was always warmer than the rest of the palace, Sozin noted. When he didn't want to be found, he would come here. No one would look here, except his father. He was the only one that knew Sozin was fascinated by the egg.

It rested on a pedestal in the middle of the room, the topmost room of the palace tower. Sozin couldn't reach it without a boost, so he often dragged on of the chairs in the room over. They were heavy, but it was worth it because whenever he touched the egg, it would throb and become warmer to his touch. _Like a heartbeat._

When he'd told his father to feel for it, he'd said that he felt nothing, just cold metal.

Standing on a chair, his face pressed to the egg, he whispered. "Everybody thinks you're metal. I don't think so, don't worry!" He rushed to reassure. "I don't know why you're in that egg, but if you ever get out, want to be friends?" The egg didn't answer, it never did.

Until it cracked. Sozin gasped and watch the crack slowly expand. "Mom! Dad!" He cried. "Eggy is doing something!" No one heard.

Sozin could not tear his eyes away, watching is the cracks became larger and larger. He watched transfixed, and startled when a small, black head broke the shell.

The rest of the egg soon followed, and before long Sozin was cradling a small serpent in his arms. It was covered in fuzzy feathers and was very soft. Its wings were leathery and stuck to its body by fluids. Sozin quickly noted that warmth made them dry and come loose, so he moved to one of the windows so they could bask in the sun.

The small serpent looked up at Sozin and the boy felt a question probe his mind. _"Parent?"_

Sozin giggled at the question and the sensation. "No silly! We're friends!" He explained. The newborn seemed slightly crestfallen. _"Not family?"_

Sozin, noticing the small creature's sadness, smiled warmly. "I can be your brother, of you want." He offered.

"_Nest mate?"_

"Yes! Nest mate!" Sozin grinned. The serpent purred in reply and snuggled into Sozin's chest.

Sozin chuckled at the serpents enthusiasm. "Welcome to the family, Tamago."

Tamago just purred in reply. Than it started squalling.

"_Hungry!"_

((*))

"If you do this," Roku said "the war is good as done."

"You don't know that!" Aang replied heatedly. "You aren't a prophet, Roku! You don't know!"

"He has a point." Kyoshi conceded to Roku's dismay. "You have always been too sure that you knew everything, and it got you killed."

Roku eyed her angrily. "And what, pray tell, do you mean?"

"You thought the volcano you lived on was dead as a doornail." Kyoshi deadpanned. "Look how that turned out." Then she turned to Aang.

"That said, he does not understate the importance of this decision. Bumi's plan has a lot of tactical merit, and it places the balance of power in your hands, where it should be." She told him, looking thoughtful.

Aang's eyebrow twitched. "Come again?" He heard a sigh and suddenly Kuruk was there, speaking.

"The world has not seen an Avatar's power for over a hundred years. We have fallen into the realm of myth. People think you are merely a master bender in all elements. They do not know how much more powerful than that an Avatar truly is. You can show them, teach them to fear you." _And use that fear to your advantage _went unsaid.

"I don't want people to be afraid of me…" Aang mumbled. _"You tell me, Avatar Aang, by which of these roads do you not partake in death? By slaying many yourself to stop the bloodshed, or by staying your hand and watch as the world tears at itself for a century more?"_

The boy sighed and waved his hand. "Out." He said firmly, his temper short. Roku seemed livid, Kyoshi looked proud and Kuruk was… unreadable as always. They left him in peace.

When he returned to the living world, he stood in the middle of a vast dessert. All around him it was quiet, the sand not stirring, the wind not blowing. Small grains of sand hovered in the air, completely frozen. When he reached out to touch one, he saw the arrow tattoo on his arm glowing.

He stopped to marvel at it. Usually, he would black out when going into the Avatar State, but now he was conscious. He had to admit, the power he felt coursing through him was amazing.

He turned his gaze north and licked his lips because he tasted the dry air of the Great Divide that lay there, kilometers upon kilometers away from him. Even further North, he could smell the salt of the Badgermole Sea and recalled that, around this time of year, the crab salmon's would be following the melting snow of the Nothern Mountains to the sea and-

"Focus. Find your center. Retain your individuality." He said, but his voice was not his own. It was the voice of hundreds, thousands of people who had been there before him, and who would stand by him now he was here and whom he would join when he was done-

_Focus, young Avatar. Don't let the flow of power consume you. _A calm voice rang out over the thousands of others, clear and calm. A dark skinned man in a worn yellow robe stood across from him, but did not stir the sand. His bushy white beard stood out against his bald, aged head. His eyes were grey, like Aang's own. A lean arm reached for Aang and touched him lightly on the crown of his head, fingers woven into his hair.

Calm settled over Aang like the first hesitant raindrops of summer in the Eastern Air Temple. Aang closed his eyes and reveled in the clear feeling. Opening them again to thank the strange man, he found him gone.

Aang focused his mind and raised and arm, feeling sand and sky respond to his will. He lashed out and the world moved.

((*))

"You want more? There's plenty to go around." Zuko looked up from his empty bowl of rice to the girl across from him. She was smiling at him, holding out another bowl for him. Some sauce and vegetables were mixed with the rice that made the meal very cool to the to the taste, and very pleasing to the stomach.

He nodded, not trusting his voice. It betrayed him a lot these days. He remembered how he had arrived in this village, covered in weeping sores that _ached._ He had _pleaded_ for help, begged for it, and received it. That still stung his pride.

_Serves me right for trying to make tea from the flower._ Zuko though somberly. The suffering was of no consequence, he deserved worse, but he could _not_ let himself die. He didn't deserve that mercy.

"So, young man, where are you headed?" The mother asked. The girl's, Song was her name, eyes lit up and she perked up a bit. _Very curious, and not to good at hiding it. _Zuko concluded. But then, he'd grown up with Azula. She could be acused of murder and not even flinch. Agni he missed her…

_Don't go there, Zu Zu. _

"I'm going to the Si Wong Desert." He said before he considered the benefits of lying.

If Song's eyes wire alight before, they were blinding now. "That's where the Avatar went! Are you going to meet him?"

Images of a broad back charging into the embrace of a monster on an icy plain filled his head and he nearly dropped his bowl. He recovered before either of them noticed his slip up. "Yes, I might just do that." _No. Not just no, __**hell**__ no._

Agni's Fiery Pits would swallow him whole before he'd seek out the Avatar willingly.

"Well, we're going to Ba Sing Se." Song replied, oblivious to the hate that coursed through Zuko's veins. "A messenger from the Northern Water Tribe arrived yesterday. They're going to do something big in this region and they need the towns cleared. You're lucky you arrived today. A day later and the town would've been empty."

Zuko filed the information away (something big? Bad news) before replying. "Where are you headed then?"

"Ba Sing Se." The mother replied, refilling their cups. "Only safe place in all the world, really."

"You can join us!" Song spoke up, her voice rushed and eager. "The messenger is also an escort, you can come south with us!"

Zuko saw no reason to tell her no, so he simply nodded. _Smile, Zuko, it puts people more at is._ His mother's chiding voice echoed through his mind and he worked a smile onto his face. "That would be… nice. Thank you."

Song's cheeks turned pink at this. She quickly hid her face behind her rice bowl.

((*))

Short chapter, I know.

For the record, as it may be confusing: why did Zuko not commit seppuku or something, considering he's completely dishonored and canon Fire Nation is based on feudal Japan? The answer is this: I'm not killing my main character.  
I prefer to use exile because it offers the chance of redemption. Zuko feels he has failed his nation and dishonored himself and his people. He feels he doesn't deserve to live, but he won't kill himself because he believes he doesn't deserve the mercy death offers. That's the reasoning, hope it fits zuko.

Please review to tell me what you think! It means a lot to me!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: It has ****been brought to my attention that at least one reader thinks I should make the difference between my story and the a/n's more obvious, so henceforth they will be thicker and the scene break mark will be slightly bigger. **

**Important: Rereading my story, I stumbled across a dumb inconsistency; Miki's eye color. I introduce them as being gold in chapter four, and then refer to them as blue in later chapters. This is very stupid, and I will remedy it soon. Until further notice, his eyes are ****golden****.**

**As to a guest reviewer who asked me whether I would be so kind as to put a little Zucest in this story. My answer: I'd rather not. It's not because I'm against the idea, all is fair in love and war and fanfiction after all, but Zuko is with Toph. Azula is hurting over the loss of Miki, who was her mentor and friend, possibly more. It doesn't… function with the story.**

**Sorry I can't respond to you all, I'm really messed up busy with school (not all that intelligent, so my education is a trial sometimes). Hope you'll continue to enjoy Blaze and keep telling me what you think!**

**Ps: to the reviewer that wondered whether Ty Lee is pregnant or not… that's a bag of cats I'd rather not open if it's all the same to you. 0_0**

**(((***))) **

"Touch me and I _will_ kill you, peasant." Azula promised with an air of practiced nonchalance. She almost smiled when she saw the Water Tribe girl stiffen, before the wench shifted her stance to one of more 'relaxed.'

It was fake, ridiculously so, but Azula didn't have to call her on it, now did she?

"Just get up." The girl declared imperiously. "We're moving on."

Azula tugged absently on the rubber band they had placed on their necks, and contemplated her options. She could obey the brat and safe herself some pain, or she could not and get some.

Azula had never been scared of pain.

"I think I'll sit this day out, but don't let us keep you. We'll catch up eventually." Beside her she heard Toph snort, the small girl was tugging at her own collar as she did so.

The girl glared at Azula and Toph in turn, her expression haughty. "Very cute, but no. We're taking you to the Line, whether you like it or not. Now, _get up_."

The Line was the huge wall lined with fortresses that the Earth Kingdom had created to cut the colonies off from the bulk of the Fire Nation Army near Ba Sing Se… time to do some fishing.

Azula laughed, so very full of mirth that the girl's expression turned incredulous.

"Take us to the Line? How foolish. It won't hold a _week_, and then where will you be?" She asked with an indulgent smile.

The girl's expression darkened. "Won't hold a week? What are you talking about?" She hissed.

To Azula's surprise, and dismay, Toph spoke up. "Sugar Queen, you cut, -what was it Azula? Two-hundred-thousand men?- off from their supplies. What do you _think_ they're gonna do? Sit down with a pout and sulk?"

_Perfect. _Azula thought. Toph had more skill at extracting information than she thought.

The girl's (Sugar Queen? For real?) face morphed into and expression of sadistic glee, her eyes alight with a vision only she could perceive. "But that's the beauty of it." She said. "Your army will never make it to the wall in the first place."

A trap then. But what was it?

"They'll die before it, buried in the Earth they tried to conquer, and you can watch." The girl rattled on, oblivious to all she was revealing, and her face became murderous. She glared viciously at Azula. "You filth took my mother from me. I had to _watch her die_." She leaned in. "I'll make you pay for that." Then the girl turned and strode away. "Yakone, get these lazy bums up, please."

A man, Yakone, smiled sadistically at them and he held out his hands. The rubber bands around their throats tightened momentarily, reminding them both that the water within the bands could crush their windpipe at any moment.

"Katara has little stomach for suffering. I suffer no such problem, so do not disobey me. Understood?"

Azula gasped out a 'yes', ensuring that her body language was as pathetic as possible. This pleased the man, as expected, and he let go. After their breathing pattern returned to normal, Toph and Azula got to their feet and started walking. Mai and Ty Lee soon joined them, wearing rubber collars as well.

Azula glanced at a huddled, broken figure walking just ahead of them, and recalled how this situation (_capture_, a less pride part of Azula's mind supplied unhelpfully) had ensued three days ago.

((*Flashback*))

_This_, Azula thought with annoyance, _was unexpected_.

They'd been traveling for two days now, traversing the mountains to the best of their ability. The odds of Zuko being somewhere in these mountains were high, but spotting him was the trouble. Spring was rapidly melting snow and fog was an enemy that could end you here. What looked like a perfectly fine mule-goat trail would end in an abyss just a few step further.

Aside from that, they knew that the Nothern Water Tribe was sending people down, to what end, they did not know.

For both problems, Toph was the solution. Toph's sight was unhindered by fog, and she would spot any other people before they could ever spot them.

_So how did it go wrong? _

Now, the sun had set and the stars were out, and Azula, Mai, Toph and Ty Lee were facing nine Water Tribe members. They'd been pushing onwards into the night, working themselves to exhaustion, when they'd come across a mountain stream where the Northerners were, for lack of a better phrase, waiting for them.

A moment of observing their stance and the situation in general told Azula enough. _Water. They used waterbening and the melting snows to travel through the mountains on the newborn streams._

Toph's sight was hindered by water, thus she had never spotted them.

"Lin?! What are you doing here?!" A female voice cut through the tense silence, and Azula's eyes snapped to an advancing girl. Beside her, Toph stiffened and threw the girl a lopsided grin. _There goes playing innocent Earth Kingdom traveler. Oh well._

"Hi Sugar Queen. I'm looking for my boyfriend. Have you seen him? You remember him right? Strong and silent type?" Azula snorted, Mai rolled her eyes and Ty Lee giggled.

The water tribe girl's voice dripped venom. "You mean the little rat that killed Yue and attacked the tribe? The one that got Aang's legs burned? _That_ boyfriend?"

"Yup!" Toph grinned, but Azula could tell it was a façade. _It's one thing to know your boyfriend is lethal, quite another to get it thrown in your face._

The argument was broken up by a young, handsome man with a condescending smirk on his face. "If my source is correct, _you"_ he spoke, gesturing to Azula, "are princess Azula of the Fire Nation, correct?" Azula's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Explain yourself." She spoke, voice colder than steel.

The man grinned, his eyes crinkling charmingly, and he gestured with his hand. A Tribesman further back thrust another man forward. It collapsed in a wincing heap before the handsome man.

"Do you remember this man?" He asked her, holding his hand up. The person on the ground was raised into the air, and hover before Azula, writhing.

Azula saw the threat for what it was, too. 'I am a bloodbender and it is night, do not cross me.' Having registered that, she took in the man hovering before her with a cold expression. If it could be called a man. The bruising made him hard to look upon, the left side of his face swollen grotesquely. She'd bet her hair that the rest of his body was in no better shape.

She searched his face for recognition and found none until she met his eyes. Laughing, golden eyes. Her blood chilled and her eyes widened minutely.

"Miki?" She whispered, not wanting to face the facts for once.

Despite his pain, Miki grinned at her. "Sorry, my lady. They broke me."

Hot rage went through her veins and her expression became livid. All felt the temperature rise and the air crackled around her. The faint smell of ozone filled her nostrils as she drew her power from the stars.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The bloodbender told her. His hand clenched and Miki howled in pain, clutching at his chest with what she now saw were broken fingers.

"Surrender." The bloodbender ordered. "Or do you want to see him die? He has betrayed you, after all. All we asked of him to serve as a bargaining chip and help us traverse these mountains, he knows them better than we do after all, and for what?" The man smirked. "A _brief_ _respite_ from the pain. Such loyal men you have."

Azula considered her choices, but really, she knew there was no way she could watch Miki die by this man's hand.

She bowed her head, and plotted her enemies demise.

((*End Flashback*))

Fortunately, these Tribesmen were is loose lipped as they came. Azula mulled over her conversation with the girl just now. _They're taking us to the Line so we can watch our army die before it? Given the average marching speed of the army, that should be in two days, seeing as our army should be marching along the northern shore of the Badgermole Sea toward the Line right now so…_

Azula moved up behind Toph and started tapping on the back of her neck. The girl tapped exactly the same rhythm with her feet, sending vibrations far and wide.

The army's more sensitive precision instruments should easily pick up de warnings she and Toph were spelling out in Morse code.

((*))

"And here, the Line drops to the sea. It's weak spot is the sea, of course, so Bumi has several hundred fast ships patrolling it. No Fire Nation ship is going to get through here." General Fong declared proudly, as if he had conceived it all himself.

_Well, wouldn't surprise me. _Sokka thought. The man's own fortress was a lot farther south, so they'd probably had good reason to call this man to the Line in the first place.

The general smiled kindly at him, and Sokka found himself relaxing slightly. I had taken the better part of two days to cross from one end of the Line to the other, and Sokka had gotten a pretty good impression of it and its warriors.

The Line was manned by several thousand earthbenders, and their numbers were swelling daily. All for the better, because the behemoth they were caging was so much larger. When Sokka first heard that the army that the Line was messing with was two-hundred-thousand strong, he'd laughed, thinking it a joke. Laughter had soon left him.

Oddly enough, Fong was preparing for an attack from the colonies to the west, rather than from the army to the east. When Sokka asked why, Fong's eyes became haunted.

"I've only been a general for a few years, you know. I used to be second in command to general Ghasi, the finest general on this end of the kingdom. He was old, but sharp as a dagger and achieved many a victory against the Fire Nation." He looked Sokka straight in the eye, and te boy resisted the urge to flinch.

"Until general Iroh, the current Fire Lord, came to the battlefield. The Dragon of the West outmaneuvered general Ghasi and slew him. Years of victories, undone by one man in a matter of _days_." He sighed, looking like a man twice his age for just a moment, before his back strengthened itself again and he stood tall and proud.

"I trust king Bumi. He told me he 'had the army to the east covered' and I believe him. Furthermore, the Fire Lord himself is massing an army in the colonies and intends to march. Frankly, I'm more afraid of Fire Lord Iroh than I am of a several hundred-thousand men."

Sokka was quiet for a moment, then ventured carefully. "Is that not a bit of an exaggeration? I mean, sure, the Fire Lord is powerful and all, but he's just one guy! Even with a small army, he can't be half as dangerous as the guys in the east!" Fong was silent, and Sokka felt chilly despite his fur poncho. "…right?"

Fong shook his head, a tired smile on his face. "It is not the man's bending prowess, which are the stuff of nightmares, or the number of men he brings, that make the Dragon of the West so dangerous." He reached out and tapped Sokka on the forehead.

"It's his _mind_." With that Fong sat down on the edge of the wall, unperturbed by the neck breaking drop behind him. "So, what do you want in the Hei Bai forest anyway?"

Sokka had to do a mental whiplash to keep up but he managed. Somehow. "The Hei Bai spirit has been going spirit world rage there for weeks now. You know Sennin Village? I don't, and never will, cuz the Hei Bai spirit tore it apart. Completely."

Fong nodded, having probably heard the rumors himself. "So? What are you planning to do with it?"

Sokka grinned at him. "You know, there's lots of books and scrolls on spirits at the North Pole. I know how to control the Hei Bai's rage."

Fong's eyes lit up. "And so you'll bring the rage of the spirits where it's due, on the Fire Nation's hateful head."

Sokka didn't hate the Fire Nation like Fong and Katara did, but thinking about a golden eye surrounded by a scar, Sokka conceded that there was one person he hated as much as much as Fong hated the Fire Nation.

**(((***)))**

**An: sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. **

**Sorry if Azula was out of character, surrendering like that, but she **_**really**_** cares about Miki. And she's getting a boatload of info to boot, so from a tactical viewpoint, it's a win. **

**As for Sokka, if there is anyone that can persuade an enraged forest spirits to join the cause, it good ol Sokka. **

**Next chapter will have some Zuko again, in case you're wondering.^^**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Good day to you my dear readers! Another installment of Blaze for you!**

**Thank you all for the wonderful feedback, it really does help.****Think we can reach the two-hundred review mark with this one? Would be sooo cool.**

**There are two things I feel that I need to elaborate. First, Yakone's bloodbending ability. In LOK, he can bloodbend at any time, anywhere, without even lifting a finger. Now, this Yakone is a few decades younger and just learned the art, so talent or not, his power is less. The way I see it, he can bloodbend ever so slightly by day, but not enough to pose and actieve threat against a willful enemy. By night, he can simply bloodbend anybody's because he's just that good, though not to the extent that he doesn't have to move.**

**Second, and more importantly, Aang. A lot of you have noticed that Aang seems out of character, certainly when compared to how 'little' happened to him during the course of the story. I explain this rapid character development away with this: the fact that the Avatars of the past are waiting for him whenever he falls asleep to tutor him in his duties (Roku) or maim him spiritually (Kyoshi). Aang's been around for two to three months since awakening, so that equals at least eighty nights. Being taught how to be an Avatar during your moments of supposed ****'****rest', and expected to be the Avatar who's going to stop a mess that had a hundred years to fester when you are awake… put short: Aang is under a lot of stress. On top of that, his world shattered recently (to which he did not respond very healthily in canon, that is to say not at all) and he's borderline schizophrenic with all those Avatars prancing about in his skull, eager to be heard.**

**I'd say that's enough reason for a moderate character change for the sake of realism. ****You**** decide whether I'm right to think so. For the record, I have no intention of making Aang go insane. I like him far too much for that.**

**Sorry for any language errors, not a native speaker and can only catch so much of the little buggers.**

**(((***)))**

Sokka dodged a high kick from Hahn and hopped back half a yard, putting his arms up and bringing them close to his body. _Safe, small, agile. Gives you time to think._

Though he hadn't anticipated Hahn using a staff to sweep his legs out from under him. As Sokka lost his balance, Hahn launched himself forward and kicked Sokka in the chest, launching him into the air for a moment before he fell flat in his back.

Sokka stared at the sun for a moment, dazed, until his vision was blocked by Hahn. The other boy extended his hand and Sokka scoffed. "I don't need yo-" A loud bang next to his ear cut him off and he squealed.

It was a very manly, certainly _not_ girly squeal. It _wasn't_. _Really_.

Hahn just rolled his eyes. "Relax, it's just a Tsungi flower. They explode from time to time, or so people tell me. Now, are you going to get up or what? I guess this is enough training for now." Sokka took Hahn's hand, which was still extended.

As he got to his feet, he turned to the large panda spirit that was, to all intends an purposes, snickering at him.

_Bet you placed that flower there, you little trickster._ Sokka thought sourly. "Tsungi sounds Fire Nation. Don't they have an instrument like that…?"

Hahn nodded, his unspoken question easily heard. "Yeah, the tsungi horn. Like the flower, it originated in the Fire Nation, but apparently its seeds have a tendency to cling to armor and boots, so when the Fire Nation army first landed here, they brought the flower with them. Though, most people here don't know that and consider the flower native. It's been so long after all…" Hahn trailed off. How the young man had come to know all this, Sokka didn't know, and right now? He just didn't really care.

Sokka trudged over to the lazing panda, who was only slightly bigger than him at the moment, and collapsed against it. The fur was soft.

The Hei Bai spirit had been surprisingly easy to persuade, considering. Sokka had read a everything the Northern Water Tribe had on the spirit and all they had about taming or pacifying spirits, but it was all theoretical. Sokka didn't know whether or not it would actually work. Given that he wasn't very spiritual to begin with, Sokka seriously doubted that it would work. But he had to try. For Yue.

Sokka had gone to the ruins of Sennin Village waited there till evening. He had left his earthbender escort behind, stating that they would not matter against a spirit as strong as the Hei Bai.

Sokka had been nervous, and downright afraid when Hei Bai had come charging, but aside from roaring at him with enough force to shatter a house, Hei Bai had been… calm. No, not calm. Weary. Like Sokka was weary after one too many emotional conversation with Katara or dad. Tired of anger, tired of grief.

Sokka had felt like that a lot just after their mother died.

It was then that Sokka had realized that Hei Bai was not roaring at all, but _weeping_. He threw all he had read out the window, all the chants or soothing acts, and just talked to the Hei Bai. Talked about the loss of his mother, about the pain, the anger and grief, telling the spirit that he _understood_.

Hei Bai had shifted from a demon-like creature into that of a large but cuddly panda, and had been Sokka's mischievous companion ever since. That the spirit could make plants grow and shrink at will, was something he found out later.

Hahn walked over to where they lay and looked hesitant, but at Sokka's encouraging wave he sat down beside him, leaning against Hei Bai.

After Yue's death, he and Hahn had consoled each other in mourning. It turned out that Hahn really _did_ care about her, had been a longtime friend of her actually, he just didn't know how to _show_ it. It was good, Sokka had quickly decided, to have someone to talk to. Sure, there was Katara, but she was so… angry. Sokka didn't want anger, not anymore. Until Sokka had met Hei Bai, he had been mad beyond belief at Lee, their friend, who had betrayed them and killed Yue. He'd wanted him dead. Now… Sokka didn't know what he wanted anymore. He guessed that he'd find out when he faced Lee, as he was sure they would meet again. For now, he wanted someone to _listen_ without judgement.

Hahn was good at that. He'd been doing it for Yue for years, being a confidant to her when she needed and whisking her off to the outside world when they were kids and her parents were overprotective of her.

Hahn had learned to love her, but he'd also learned why she never loved him back: he could not make her laugh. It had taken quite a bit of alcohol to get that much out of Hahn, and Sokka was really no better after his fifth mug.

After that, the skies had cleared for them. So much even, that when Sokka returned to the Line with Hei Bai in tow Hahn had been waiting for him.

"So, where to now, oh great and powerful spirit tamer?" Hahn asked, lazing against the panda. Though most Earth Kingdom soldiers considered it chilly on top of the Line, Sokka and Hahn found the temperature on the broad wall to be pleasing. Their average summer's day was a lot colder.

Sokka shrugged, thinking. "You know what Bumi's letters tell us." Encoded though they were, of course. Couldn't be too careful. "We hold the Line until further notice and let the smart guys do their thing."

"…I'm never going to hear the end of this, but shouldn't _you_ be doing that 'thing' then? I mean, you're, you know…" Paying compliments was never Hahn's strong suit, Sokka had learned. Sokka could relate to that, not being all that verbally skilled himself.

Still. It was kind of fun when you weren't the one messing up. He grinned toothily. "Awww, you think I'm smart? Thanks. I'm so moved." Hahn smacked him, Sokka laughed and Hei Bai groaned.

"Yeah, enjoy it, genius. Now put that brain to work. Why aren't we marching on those bastards, move the Line further east? Hem them in further? We could do it, plenty of earthbenders. What's the point of all this waiting?"

That had been bothering Sokka to, so before he left to go to Omashu, he'd pestered General Fong about it. He'd gotten enough to deduce with.

"Seems the Fire Lord is coming from the west." Sokka told Hahn. The other boy's eyes widened. Sokka nodded. "Yeah, I hear that's really bad. So we're not leaving the wall half manned when he's going to be storming it. I guess that's why we're not moving all that much."

Hahn seemed more confused than ever by this information."But that just means the army to the east is gonna crush it! They are far more numerous, and even if we now have a strong Water Tribe presence in the Nothern Mountain range, we can't hope to hold them off!"

Sokka placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. The rest's got it covered, we just have to do our job. Have, you know, a little faith. In our friends." Sokka told him with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Hahn held his gaze for e moment, then closed his eyes, inhaling deeply through his nose and exhaled loudly through his mouth, the tension draining out of him.

"Yes… faith in our friends. Thanks Sokka."

Sokka grinned.

((*))

Raising his head from the ground where he had listened to the codes his masters had left for them, telling him of their approximate location and other information about their enemy, such as numbers and bender non-bender ratio and orders.

They were almost upon their prey, he and the yuyan, and he could not fail. _He couldn't. _If he did, she'd hurt him again, and it hurt so bad the first time and his fingers where were his ring fingers and the skinning had hurt so bad everywhere and where were Longshot and Smeller-

_Focus. She gave you a task. 'Fight for me, and I'll release your friends.'_

He _couldn't_ fail. The fog was thick around them, the moisture clearly felt in the air. Despite the disadvantage this would pose against a waterbender, Jet rose and beckoned the Yuyan to follow him through mountains he knew well, and set out.

Princess Azula's orders had been clear. He would not, _could_ _not,_ question them.

((*))

Bumi sat back in his chair at the head of the table in his throne room, letting his generals fight it all out amongst himself before he made a move. He had long since learned to let his generals speak first, so he'd have all the information he needed before he even started arguing with them.

They were debating Fire Lord Iroh's quirky strategies, and how it affected their own.

To compensate for their huge maritime loss in the North, they had expected Iroh to withdraw some of their naval force globally, lest the colonies who's entire fleet had been used in the North be left without a fleet to use for trade and defense.

They _hadn't_ expected Iroh to recall _all_ his warships worldwide back to the Lonely Sea and the colonies, leaving their global naval power a shadow of its former self, which in turn weakened the Fire Nation's power globally.

It also endangered the Line far more than what they had originally anticipated, as general Fong had quickly informed the other generals.

Fong had argued that Iroh was not merely strengthening his naval force around the colonies and reminded the generals at the table that every single Fire Nation military, be it marine or foot soldier, was trained for both naval and land warfare. If Iroh was gathering his ships, he was most likely creating a substantial army, rather than a bigger navy.

Bumi had to agree with the man, and his generals were also inclined to do so. It meant a huge headache for most of them. Bumi had stopped bothering to worry long ago. The Line was very strong and well manned, and if Avatar Aang managed to pull their plan of the army in the east was of no consequence, but the army in the west _might_ pose a problem.

As the generals bickered about how to best defend the line against Iroh, the Dragon of the West, who had _broken the wall of Ba Sing Se_, Bumi closed his eyes, appearing to be asleep. He laid the cards on the table:

The Fire Nation's main force was jammed between Ba Sing Se and the Line, which was flanked on the north end by jagged peaks which the Water Tribe patrolled and on the south by the Badgermole Sea, where numerous of Bumi's ships were sinking any and all vessel not their own.

No supplies would reach that army.

The logical conclusion was that Iroh was amassing an army in order to smash the Line and restore their supply lines so the army would not starve. But that just didn't sound like Iroh…

Bumi recalled when he met the young prince, forty years past. The young man had been traveling incognito, sneaking in green, when he had come to Omashu. How the man had come to be in the Earth Kingdom in the first place, or how he had gotten into the city in the first place, Bumi never learned.

The young man had been walking in the street, a weary traveler among many, when Bumi had been shopping for robes and promptly invited him to dinner. The man had accepted it gracefully, with a calculating, sly gleam in his eyes that old age had not yet managed to hide.

After a pleasant meal, they had sparred without bending. Bumi had known for certain that the man was Fire Nation then, but he seemed a good man none the less. And he looked beautiful when he positively danced with his spear in hand.

When they'd become exhausted and sweaty, they had bathed (separately, of course) and played a good game of Pai Sho over a pot of tea. When the old king awoke the next day, the man was gone.

It would be years before Bumi learned that the man he had dined with was the prince of the Fire Nation, but he'd never regretted it. Still…

_Back to work old man._

Aside from the Fire Nation's obvious problem with the army in the east, the southern Earth Kingdom was in open revolt and the merchants, who had long since sided with the Fire Lord at the urging of Lao (like he hadn't seen _that_ one coming), could do nothing. Omashu still held most of their wealth in their protected vaults, so it was best not to entice Bumi to declare said wealth worthless or worse, claim it as taxes.

A stranded army and their influence in the south decreasing… what would the young man across from him, all those years ago, have done?

Bumi's eyes snapped open and he cackled madly. _Ah, old friend, you sly dragon._

The generals, used to this kind of outburst, only quieted and waited for Bumi to explain his epiphany. "He's not massing and army to march on the Line." Bumi stated, voice confident. He gestured to the map and pointed at one place, and all the generals sagged in their chairs, seeing the truth for what is was.

"He'll march on Omashu. Like we cut them off from their supplies and command, he'll try to do the same to us."

((*))

Aang felt his senses extend across the world as he hovered high in the sky, the power of all Avatars coursing through him once again. He saw the Fire Nation's army, marching toward the wall Bumi's earthbenders had created, so far away. They were nearly there, he had to move.

_Strike now, and we may end this tragedy once and for all! Undo the evil Sozin created! _Roku shouted into his mind.

_Strike now, so the balance may restore itself. Do not hesitate, young Avatar. Never hesitate. _Kyoshi agreed.

_Strike now, so many may live, Aang. _Yangchen added to them.

Kuruk was silent, looking at him with sad eyes. _Strike now, and know what an Avatar can do, if he wills it._

Aang struck, tears in his eyes, heart breaking.

((*))

"You okay?" Yakone asked as he walked up to Katara.

Katara started to nod and smile, but his knowing gaze cut her off. She sighed. "I just… I want to hate them, I want to hate them so bad but…"

Yakone nodded. "True hate is hard Katara, and it usually isn't good for anyone, but it can be useful." He grasped her hand, comforting. "You think there is something wrong with you for not hating the people that killed your mother." He concluded. Katara knew he was right, so she nodded.

"… can't this war just stop?" She asked him. "Can't we just all go home and forget it all?" Yakone shook his head sadly.

"No, Katara, we can't. And do you really want them to get away with it?" He asked, voice soothing.

Katara thought of her mother, of Yue and of her big brother crying and drinking himself to sleep for days after she died, only to wake with a scream and a sob halfway through the night…

Her eyes hardened. "No, I don't." Beside her, Yakone smiled.

((*))

Yakone was pleased that Katara's hate was still easily fanned, she would need it to shield her from the terrors of war. He was about to turn away when all of a sudden arrows burst from the fog. All his trained warriors dodged them and he dragged the less trained (Katara) out of the way himself.

Suddenly, two of their captives were assaulted by man with hooked swords and so many scars on his arms and face it made Mikihisa seem like a beauty. The man cut the collars of the Princess and the blind girl and they made to run for it, leaving the knife throwing noble and the acrobat behind. Yakone thought it cruel, but since those two at least _weren't_ making a run for the hills he paid them not mind.

Still evading arrows, he held out his hand in an effort to bloodbend all three of them into submission, but a burst of blue fire stopped him. It was strange, how his bare arm turned from a healthy brown to ash grey in seconds beneath his elbow. He only realized what had happened when his arm started to crumble and the wound at his elbow started to sting like the breath of Koh.

He started screaming, clutching his arm as it crumbled. This couldn't be happening, not to him!

Another torrent of arrows later, two of which had hit him, one hitting his collarbone and one embedding itself in his thigh, making him drop to his knees. He paid no mind, the pain in his arm increasing until the darkness took him and he felt no more.

((*))

Toph and Azula ran along with Jet, away from the Tribesmen. It was official, Toph hated the Water Tribes. Sure, Sokka was okay, but the rest of the bunch could go toss themselves into Koh's lair for all she cared!

When they had covered a considerable distance, they slowed and waited for the other yuyan to catch up. When they did, Toph felt Azula turn to one of them.

"Report." The princess ordered curtly.

One of the men, who judging by the way he shifted his weight around was carrying blades, snapped to attention. "None of us got hurt, we left lady Mai and Ty Lee alone and made sure to grab this man." He reported. Toph realized with a start that this was the guy that had cut them loose.

Azula moved over to three men, two who were holding this Miki character up. There was a moment of silence before she heard a loud slap resound across the clearing.

"How dare you get yourself captured." Azula hissed and Toph gulped. _This guy is in for it._

Oddly enough, she felt no signs of panic from the man. After a moment of absolute silence, she heard a soft male voice, Miki's.

"You launched one shot of lightning at the four of the benders beside Katara and Yakone, yet all fell. How?" He asked and Toph was thrown by the sudden change of subject.

She could almost hear Azula roll her eyes. "I threw the lightning at the water they were gathering around them from the fog. Water conducts electricity. You can imagine they were as shocked as you. But I have to ask, are you forgetting your lessons?" The threat in her voice when she said that was… playful, somehow.

She heard a soft sound emanating from Miki's direction. She realized, belatedly, that Miki was _chuckling_. Toph shuddered. It was a rasping, pained sound. Very dark and cold.

But if the vibrations from Azula were anything to go by, she was loving every second of it.

"Please, my lady, you are a hard teacher to forget, your lessons no less so." Spirits was that man _purring?_

Azula weight shifted. "True, but flattery will get you nowhere. You're not of the hook yet. Can you walk?"

"If my lady commands me to." He answered smoothly and Toph shuddered again.

She totally got that Azula would love this guy, and they most likely had some history that made all this easier, but it made her miss her clumsy, blundering Sparky all the more. She was still going to punch him when she found him, though.

"Stand and walk, tortured or not, you are not getting a free ride." Azula ordered.

Miki stood straight, strength returning to him as if by magic. "Why did you leave Mai and Ty Lee, my lady?" He asked his mistress.

Toph could practically feel Azula's smirk. "They're tougher than they look, you should know, so don't worry. We need some eyes on the Water Tribe's movements, and they are perfect for the job." She glanced at the assembled yuyan, eight man plus this Jet and Miki.

"Four of you will follow Mai and Ty Lee at a distance and take any and all information they offer. Do not fail me."

With a chorus of 'yes princess Azula', they scattered. Toph felt her turn, and her voice sounded a tad less dull. She was facing Toph. "Now, let's find my brother."

A yuyan interjected then and there. "I'm sorry my lady, but we were ordered to take you back to the Fire Lord. Prince Zuko is to be left to his own devices until he returns voluntarily."

"Say what?!" Toph yelled. "No way! We're getting him back!"

Azula shot her down. "Fire Lord's orders, no doubt? H well, a subject does do not disobey the their lord. We're going back."

"Well I'm no subject of your lord!" Toph declared, prepared to fight. She had been controlled by her parents for far too long, she would not start obeying someone her age group. Not when she knew Sparky was out there alone.

A yuyan made to move in on her, but Azula halted him. The movement of air against her skin had Toph suspecting she had raised her hand. "Indeed, you're not. Have fun." Which was about as close as Azula would ever get to giving her blessing. Toph turned and, propelled by her bending, sped away.

((*))

Zuko walked beside Song silently while she chatted away with her mother about everything and nothing. Deciding he needed some space and peace, as much of both as you could get when moving in a column of several villages anyway, he moved to the side and walked at the edge of the group.

Despite his best intentions, it seemed the spirits were feeling nasty that day. He was soon joined by one of the Tribesmen that had come to escort them to Ba Sing Se. Oddly enough, this one had come all the way from Chameleon Bay and was from the _southern_ tribe.

"Hey there!" The man greeted, not noticing the menacing aura around Zuko or simply not caring. Zuko grunted in reply.

"Like the scenery? I do. Chameleon Bay is quite boring after a while. This is more like it." He inhaled deeply. "Fresh mountain air. Almost beats the icy air at home. Almost." He finished longingly.

Zuko's curiosity was peaked despite himself. "What is home like?" He asked the man.

To his surprise, the man chuckled. "Cold, bleak and white. But the polar light is spectacular." The man placed a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps when the war is done we can go and see it. My treat. Name's Hakoda, by the way."

Zuko smiled despite his aching heart. "Lee." He introduced himself. He _had_ seen the lights, once. Zhao had showed them to him. "And I'd like that." Though he never would take the man up on his offer.

Hakoda grinned. "It's a deal then!" Then he turned to the front of the column, where an escort from the Northern Tribe held op de line just before the edge of a cliff. The tribesman frowned. "What in Koh are those crazy Northerners up to now…?"

"Everyone, your attention please!" The man was in his fifties and graying. A hard glint was present in his eyes. "As you may have heard, the Avatar has returned to us. Now, that doesn't mean much to this generation who has never seen an Avatar's power, so as you pass this cliff's edge, feast your eyes on it and know that we have already won this war!"

Zuko held back a snort lest he sound suspiciously but Hakoda made up for his silence by snorting with such violence Zuko feared he might suck something dangerous in. "Already won? Where has this guy been the last hundred years?" Zuko decided this man reminded him of Sokka far more than he was comfortable with, but found himself liking Hakoda more and more by the second.

Despite that his obvious distaste, the tribesman shifted forward, and Zuko was filled with a sense of dread. As he and Hakoda reached the edge, they looked, not understanding.

Zuko knew the Earth Kingdom thoroughly from either experience or maps. Seeing as he was now looking southward, he knew that here there should be endless plains of grass until they reached the beach of the Badgermole Sea's northern coast.

There should not be a desert, that was on the other side of the sea. Beside him Hakoda swore.

"Look at those flags… sick, this is sick. Where is the honor in this?!" He roared stalking over to the Northern Tribesman, hard words set in every line of his face.

Zuko was still uncomprehending until he started looking closely. A fire Nation flag was sticking out of the sand. After that, pieces of armor, tanks and even bodies snapped into focus.

And then understanding hit him like a punch in the gut.

"_I'm going to the Si Wong Desert." He said before he considered the benefits of lying. _

_If Song's eyes were alight before, they were blinding now. "That's where the Avatar went! Are you going to meet him?"_

The Avatar had gone to the Si Wong dessert.

Their army had marged across the Northern shore towards the Line. The desert was directly south of it, just a marginal sea away.

The conclusion that Zuko was left with was bleak: the Northern shore had been buried in sand, and a good portion of their army with it.

Height was also represented in those maps that he had often studied and he suddenly recalled with striking accuracy that the cliffs around here were an average of twenty yards high. The sand reached to at least ten.

_He buried my people. _Zuko thought, falling to his knees. _He buried my people and turned this area into a deathtrap._

Tears gathered in his eyes and he struck the ground, releasing fire and scorching the ground.

Chaos ensued behind him. Villagers started running, people were shouting and he thought he heard Song cry out to him, but she was soon drowned out by the noise of villagers chanting for the 'death of the firebender' or the noise of those trying to get away as fast as possible.

The Northerner stepped up with a bone knife, hoping to catch Zuko off guard, but even aggrieved and half mad with loss Zuko's reflexes knocked the man back with a burst of fire. Through tear filled eyes he took in the angry faces of the land his home had ravaged for a century, but found one face compassionate among them. Hakoda stepped forward and shoved him back, telling him to run.

As he fell, he instinctively channeled fire into his legs and feet to strengthen them and soften the landing. He looked up and saw that the Northerner was trying to tie Hakoda's arms behind his back, but the mand grabbed his collar and threw him out of sight. The southerner turned back to him, eyes sad he mouthed another 'run.'

Zuko did.

**(((***)))**

**Did you know that the Amazon rainforest in South America is partially fertilized by sand from the Sahara desert in North Africa? It's picked up by the wind and carried all the way across the Atlantic ocean. Makes Aang's little stunt seem all that more plausible, no? I mean, with the kind of storms Aang can whip up it shouldn't be all that hard to move a considerable portion of the desert to the great divide near the southern coast of the Badgermole Sea and then launch it across it, given a time to do it.**

**So, there you have Bumi's master plan that I've been building up to since, I don't know, chapter five or so? It all started when Zuko started getting cocky after all. :p Hope you like it. Needless to say, nothing ever goes completely as planned, so don't make the mistake of thinking the army in the east is all gone. They are hurt, and can't reach the line due to all the sand (crossing earthbenders on sand? I'll pass), but not gone. **

**I don't know about you guys, but Hakoda always seemed understanding and sensible guy to me. Condoning the death of boy who is, for all intends and purposes, fleeing the war and aggrieved at the loss of his countrymen? Hakoda certainly never struck me as cruel never struck me as cruel.**

**Hope you'll let me know what you think, and please tell me if you have any questions, recommendations, or otherwise commentary of any kind. ^^**

**Nate out.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I would like to start out with saying that I must apologize to you all. I have had a terrible writers-block, was ill for most of the winter and have had a very hard time with my current education. In short: I had little time and less inspiration to work on Blaze.**

**Some reviewers expressed concern over whether or not I had given up on Blaze. I suspect they're not the only ones, so to set the record straight: I'll only ever stop writing Blaze when it gets either a) too little reviews to keep the word/chapter count and review count ratio positive (see the AN in chapter 10 if you've forgotten what that means) because I need to feel like I'm working for something. And b) when it is finished.**

**So if you like Blaze and want it to continue, all you really have to do is let me know that I'm not writing this for naught. But I'll NEVER just drop it.**

**That said, I hope you enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think. :)**

**Oh, seeing as it has been a long time:**

**-Katara is with Mai and Ty Lee in the Northern Mountains, Yakone is their too, though short an arm.**

**-Zuko is traversing the dessert Aang created just South of these mountains, heading for the Serpents Pass,**

**-Toph is in pursuit of Zuko, about three to four days behind (thank Katara and co for that).**

**-Sokka is at the Line with Hahn and the Hei Bai spirit. **

**-Azula is also in the Nothern mountains with Miki, Jet and a Yuyan escort.**

**Iroh is far south, near Omashu, which he intends to attack.**

**-Aang is in the south of the Si Wong dessert.**

**I think that covers everyone.**

**(((***)))**

Agni above him was hotter than even the spirit of the sun had any right to be during this time of year, at this place. But maybe that was Zuko's imagination, or maybe it was the fact that he'd run out of water yesterday and he was parched. Maybe Agni really was claiming this land for himself as his forefathers had so often claimed. Could be.

Zuko walked through the sand going, he hoped, to the south-east. He'd long since started hunching from exhaustion and dehydration and was using his sword as support. Around him, the wind howled and broken remnants of the Eastern Army rotted while being slowly buried by sand, to be forgotten by all but the desert. He didn't know how much of the army had met their doom here, though he suspected it wasn't as much as the wreckage would suggest. The army was huge; it was unlikely that a sandstorm could wipe them all out.

Still, Zuko knew that every life lost here was on him. The situation, the Avatar's presence in the desert, the Water Tribe activity in the Northern Mountains, he could have prevented it all. Instead, He'd instigated it all.

"Made a fine mess of things." Zuko's head snapped to his right. It couldn't be, but there stood Azulon in all his glory. _It's an illusion of Agni. Agni the Trickster. Keep moving. _

He walked past the man, the tall figure looking at him with disgust, hate and… disappointment. "You were supposed to be better than this!" Azulon called after him.

_Yes, you're right. I should have been… but I'm not. _Zuko did stop though and turned to the image of his grandfather. "I'm not like you, grandfather. I'm sorry." He rasped, licking his lips in an attempt to moisten them.

The old man scoffed. "Of course you aren't like me, you have a ways to go before you can be like me, but neither are you _this_. You are _better than this_." Azulon sneered and Zuko's eyes widened in confusion. The image snorted at the expression, all dignity hanged, apparently.

"I gave that scar to a boy who would stand for what he thought was right, who would not give up on his loved ones without fighting for them. What happened to that boy? He would not have run away. He would _face_ justice and walk away a stronger man than he was before."

"I tried to do what I thought was right…" The young prince rasped. "I fought for those I loved, and lost, lost, LOST!" He coughed and fell to his knees under the force of the heave, but his sword supported him still and he did not fall over completely.

"You don't know, grandfather, you weren't there!" His voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "All those lives, brave men and women, our _countrymen_, gone. Because of _me_." And Zhao had been all that and more. "First the North, now this…" Now so many more would die.

The image before him was silent, and Zuko sighed. "This isn't real, it's all in my head. Go away. Leave me where I belong." _In the pit I dug for myself and thousands of others_.

"Of course it's in your head, silly boy. That doesn't mean it isn't real." Zuko felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up from where he knelt. A small, squat man in red was kneeling beside him. For half a moment, Zuko mistook the man for Iroh, for the resemblance was striking, but after a moment of wonder Zuko's eyes widened in recognition. "Fire Lord… Sozin…" It was all he got out before he coughed again, tasting blood this time.

"That won't do..." Sozin said thoughtfully. "Azulon, my boy! Help me with this stripling!" Sighing, Azulon walked over, though his steps made no sound and his robes moved with his motion, but not with the wind blowing around them.

"Father, I made it to ninety-five. Would it kill you to call me something more appropriate than 'boy'?" Azulon asked, brow twitching and a vein throbbing on his right temple. It seemed even Azulon's famed cool washed away when family was concerned. With a light throb, his scar reminded him that he already knew that.

Sozin smirked faintly at his son. "Not on your life. Well, what counts as life after you've gone to the Spirit World anyway. For that matter, it _wouldn't_ kill me, seeing as I am dead as a doornail."

Azulon shook his head with resigned sorrow. "And you wonder why I never took my girlfriends home to meet you…"

Sozin waved him off. "I understand. Over exposure to my epic being would have been the death of a third of them, blinded another third, and the last third would have fallen in love with _me_, and then where would we be?" He was silent for a moment, then asked: "…you did make it to three girlfriends, right? Else the sum's off."

Zuko, hearing all this with blatant shock and disbelief, decided that his mother had been right all along. Sozin, and all of his line, were insane.

Azulon and Sozin helped him to his feet, somehow feeling as solid to him as any other man would have.

"How is this possible?" He asked softly.

Azulon spoke up beside him. "When we are at our weakest, our lowest, the barrier between this world and the Spirit World becomes… thin. Or so those airhead Avatars have told us."

"And so not to waste a moment of that," Sozin began as he placed a hand on Zuko's chest. "we're making sure you don't die on us." Azulon placed a hand on his forhead. Both hands were positively buzzing with energy.

"Indeed. You have a lot to make up for, prince Zuko. You will understand how to bear that burden, in time." Light flashed and Zuko felt himself completely hale and hydrated again. He saw Azulon started to fade after the light was gone, looking like he was evaporating. Sozin was in a similar position, though he was fading at a slower pace.

"You are better than this." Azulon said before he was well and truly gone. Sozin stepped back (though his legs had already evaporated) and grinned at the boy, reminding him so much of uncle that it hurt.

"I've placed a guide inside of you, a inane sense of direction if you will, that will lead you out of this dessert and through the other. Good luck."

And then he was gone. Zuko looked at the empty spot for a moment, before bowing to it. He felt for what direction the 'guide' wanted him to go and set out.

((*))

Toph felt sand beneath her feet and cursed. Oh she could move through sand nowadays, sure, but it still slowed her down a lot. But there was nothing for it. Considering Zuko had to be in this region, he could only have gone in this direction. To the west was the Line they'd heard so much about, to the North were the mountains where the Water Tribes were growing stronger every day, which kind of surprised Toph at first. She'd figured the Northern Water Tribe would lay low after the siege. Sure, they'd won, but they still got hurt pretty badly. But apparently the Tribe felt the best defense was a good offense, a sentiment Toph had learned to appreciate hanging around with firebenders these past few years.

To the west lay the Army and further west than that was Ba Sing Se, both of which Zuko would much rather avoid. To the south, of course, was the sea, and her knuckleheaded friend had no hope of crossing it. That left the Serpent's Pass to the south-east. That was were Sparky would head. That's where she would go.

_Thank the spirits for tectonic plates._ That was a philosophy that Earth and Fire shared: the notion of a living, active planet, manifested most noticeably through huge plates of semi-molten rock beneath their feet moving in a given direction all the time. The plate that the Fire Nation rested on, for example, moved further west all the time will the Earth Kingdom moved further east. This was the result of a 'fault line' that was located in the Lonely Sea, extending north to cut the colonies in two and extending south to push the southern Air Islands apart. Toph knew this philosophy, this _theory_, to be fact, because she could feel them in spring, the season of earthbenders. She knew where the west was because she could feel the Fire Nation there. She knew where the north was because she could feel the mountains growing ever taller there as the North Pole slowly crept south.

She knew where the south-east was. So she went there.

A few hours into the trip, Toph felt horribly sick to her stomach and feet. She could feel the corpses around her, feel the crushed remains of tanks, animals, men, women, everything. It was Taku all over again. It took all her strength not to curl up into a ball and cry. Where was Sparky when she _needed_ him? How did this even happen?

Still, she pressed on. No sense in breaking down, it wouldn't help anyone, least of all her.

She marched on throughout the day and made herself an earth cocoon at night. Cold as the air may be at night, the sand had retained a semblance of the sun's heat so it was better than nothing. So the days passed, each they there were a little less bodies, and the ones that were there affected her less. So she went, until on her fourth day of traveling she felt something. It felt like a… boat? A pretty large on too, at least the size of Appa. Then she heard the cat calls, to her great annoyance.

"Hey little girl, wanna take a ride with us?" She heard a man call out. Her nose scrunched up. She was tempted to just sandbend them into oblivion and move on, but their offer was not half bad. She could not travel fast in the sand and they could, apparently. And as long as she could feel the plates beneath her feet (even through fuzzy sand, those beasts _roared_) she'd be able to make sure they weren't tricking her, even if she got on the boat (if she could feel the boat through the sand she could probably feel the sand through the boat).

"Depends on where you're going." She got out, grinding her teeth in an effort to remain polite.

"Si Wong dessert baby, via Serpent's Pass." One of them told her, his voice remarkably young.

"In that case, I'm in." No need to look a gift ostrich horse in the mouth, not that she understood the fuzz when someone did that. She had no idea what they were doing here, and didn't much care. She said and jumped unto the boat without further ado. Fortunately, this boat's paint was so ingrained with sand that she could easily feel both her companions but also the plates. Sweet.

Now that she could feel them more properly, she immediately noticed that most if not all of the people on board where teenagers. This made her feel ever so slightly better. "C'mon boys! We haven't got all day! Giddy up!" She announced and got a general snicker in return.

"I like the way you think missy! Let's get moving!" One of the older boys called out. She felt the sandbenders start to move and the boat sped off. Curiously, those that weren't bending were either chatting or making music, making the atmosphere on the boat rather nice.

"Hey! Come sit with us babe!" She heard the young voice, a kid probably her age, call out. She walked over, sat down next to him and tapping her finger on the boat once. Some sand that had been drifting around on deck responded en enclosed the boys groin area in a chokehold. Toph felt his breath catch. Good.

"Call me 'babe' one more time and your puberty is going to be _very_ boring. Clear?"

"Yes! We're clear! So very very clear!" The kid kind of reminded her of Sokka, so she'd figured that she'd cut him some slack. He might just be okay. "But what should we call you then, oh you of wily ways?"

Yeah, the kid was okay. She smirked in his general direction. His heartbeat sped up but she deliberately chose to ignore that. "Toph, Pussy, name's Toph."

"Hey! My name's Shiva! Not 'Pussy!'" The sand around his groin tightened slightly. "But if you insist, I'll adept."

Toph grinned. "Good to know we're on the same page." Murmurs echoed around her, most of them indicating that they approved of her. They probably didn't expect her to be able to hear their whispers.

"Hey, Toph, here." Toph didn't know what Pussy wanted right now, but she figured he was holding something out to her. Time to break that illusion.

"If it's a flower, I am not impressed." She deadpanned, waving her hand before her eyes.

"Oh, right. Didn't see- uh- notice that. Here, let me help you then." He got up and moved a little closer and Toph felt him cover her face and most of her body with a large, long cloth.

"This'll shield you from sand blowing about, and while the sun here is pretty manageable," He explained. "in the Si Wong, walking around like you were would get you fried. Perfect waste that would be." There was an awkward silence.

"…you just winked at me, didn't you?" Toph asked, fighting a smile.

"Yeah. Sorry."

((*))

Azula and her Yuyan made their way up a mountain in west of the Northern Mountains. Their pace was quick but their tread silent, but not silent enough.

"My lady," Miki murmured, his voice uncommonly polished for someone of his low birth. "we are being followed."

Azula very nearly rolled her eyes at Miki. "You imply that I am unaware of that?" She purred at him, smiling easily, the look in her eyes threatening enough to make a lesser man shudder. Miki had never been easy to threaten.

"I wouldn't dare, my lady. Please, forgive my presumption." Miki replied, returning her easy smile, his eyes laughing. "Captivity must have made me rusty. What do you want me to do about our tail?"

Azula waved dismissively. "A rusty tool is best left alone until it is fixed." The message was clear. _You'll not do anything until I've burned you back to perfection_. "Shen! Get to it."

The Yuyan some yards behind her nodded curtly and disappeared into the fog around them, not needing to ask what she was referring to, as they all knew they were being followed.

_Except for Jet. _Azula mused with amusement, as she saw the boy tense when the Yuyan had gone, finally catching on. So skilled, so fierce, so useful… so _deliciously_ broken. Truly, she always did her best to suppress her urges while on a mission, but she _ached_ to pick the boy apart some more.

They marched on toward a large cave on the higher ridges. Beside her, Miki had gone silent, though she knew it was not because he was fearful of the prospect of being 'fixed' by her. Knowing him, he'd embrace the notion of regaining his lost strength. Knowing him, he'd come out of it stronger than he ever had been, and zealously committed to her.

_Which is where you belong, at my fingertips, always in reach._ She would never admit it, but not having Miki around was like not having Zuko around: it left here feeling alone in a strange, big world.

They reached the entrance of the cave and Jet tensed even more. So did her Yuyan. Miki just grinned. "Hello, beastie."

Ran growled lazily at them all, reveling in their fear. Azula walked over to the giant dragon, and petted its muzzle. "Easy girl, we have to wait a little longer." Dragons had no gender, but Azula felt comfortable treating her giant friend as if though it was feminine.

A few minutes of waiting later, where Miki answered the questioning look Ran gave his scars with an epic story of how he was captured trying to save the fair princess of fire or something to that effect. Azula was too preoccupied with taking in Jet's pure, blatant fear to really pay attention to the ridiculous tale.

The boy was positively terrified of her dragon. She wasn't surprised, Ran could probably eat him in one bite. She sauntered over to him, and when she had successfully snuck up behind him, she whispered in his ear. "Don't worry, she won't bite unless I tell her to."

Her whispering in his ear only made him tense more, and she loved it. Hearing a sound behind her, she turned to face the cave's mouth and saw Shen return, dragging a woman and a small boy with him. Azula gave them a thorough once over.

_The woman is pale, relatively gaunt, stifling a nasty cough, and has crusted blood on her left hand, but no sign of injury. Simple peasant clothes, meaning no access to expensive treatments. Tuberculosis, I wager. But the boy seems fine, so probably not contagious anymore… still should make Ran use a cleansing fire on us and her corpse._

"Kill them." She ordered nonchalantly, having decided that their stalkers were of no worth.

"NO!" the boy exclaimed, breaking free of Shen with a small burst of fire, and charging Azula. The princess stopped the boy with ease, capturing the punch he threw at her and wrenching that arm behind him, forcing him to his knees and using her free hand to grab is long hair, turning his head up to face her.

She ground her teeth when she saw his face. _I'm going to have a long talk with his-tea-loving-kookiness._

"Ran! Cleansing fire, now!" Ran raised her head in response, found the sick woman, and moments later she was engulfed in flames.

((*))

Aang dropped in through the roof window, as was custom for mail deliverers in this city. Having next to nothing to do as Bumi advised (ordered) him to lay low, he'd taken to delivering letters and packages across town for free.

The city of Jiang Megui was a gem in the dessert, though Aang still had difficulty wrapping his head around the fact that this place was, or used to be, a barren dessert.

"Hey professor Zei!" Aang exclaimed, walking over to the man, ignoring his still aching legs. _Gotta run another tab of fresh water over them later. Perhaps I can persuade Rosa to go to the bathhouse I passed on the way here… oh right, can't, arrows._

The professor turned around, knocking over a small stack of books. He yelped, and managed to safe them just before they hit the ground. He exhaled in relief and grinned wryly at Aang. "Morning, Aang. Have you got a delivery for me, or are you here for a lesson?"

Aang grinned excitedly. "Both!" And promptly pulled a book out of his messenger bag. Zei's eyes lit up and he quickly placed the pile of books he was holding back on the desk and snatched the book out of Aang's hands. "Ah, this is an exquisite copy! Look at the bindings, this should be at least three hundred years old, from Kyoshi's era." The man walked off, still talking out loud and Aang smiled fondly. It was… inspiring to see someone so passionate. Knowing that the professor would be preoccupied for at least a few minutes, Aang looked around the study, recalling Lin's words to him once. _I can't see, but even I know you gotta check out your surroundings. You gotta know where danger can come from and what you can do when it does. _

The sandstone walls were decorated with geometric patterns, beautifully ingrained in the wall through sandbending. (possible weapon) The wooden grated panel that made op the ceiling had its hatches opened so light could come in, and Aang (possible exit). All about were plants, most of them rooted in the floor itself in designated areas, the broadleaves located near the opening in the ceiling to catch the most light and the more resilient greenery further away (possible cover).

Scanning the room more closely, Aang noted that professor Zei had added a few more pillow seats, which meant his number of guests had grown recently. More students, most likely. He smiled at the thought.

When his eyes drifted to a mirror standing against the wall, his face sobered. Wearing a white shirt with long sleeves and similarly white pants, he hardly recognized himself. The only things that showed a hint of air nomad about him was the large orange piece of cloth that he'd taken to tying around his waist and another draped around his head to hide his arrow.

"So Aang, what do you wish to talk about?" Aang snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the professor, who had taken seat on one of the pillows and was pouring a cup of tea (had the tea been standing there all this time?) and placed a cup near the pillow across from him.

Aang sat down on that pillow and took a sip of his tea before answering. "Yeah. How'd this city get here? When I last was here, there were a few scattered towns all over the region. Now, there's a huge city!"

Zei apparently found his confusion funny, for he laughed heartily. "The city has been there for nearly four hundred years, Aang, it was just a bit smaller, and mostly below ground." He took a sip of his tea, but the cup down and leaned back against the wall, against which he had propped up some pillows.

"I'm glad you stopped asking about the war, though. Would need to be Wang Shi Tong to know the answer to those questions!" He jested. "Anyhow, Jiang Megui was founded about four hundred years ago, I forget the exact date, my apologies, by colonists from the Southern Water Tribe. They came looking for sand, a rare substance at the poles. However, they found a dessert filled with hard, warring sandbender tribes. A terrible inconvenience for them, as it made trade and/or taking the sand dangerous. Deciding that they could gain a lot by playing their cards right, they aided one of the clans. The combined power of the waterbenders of the south and the powerful sandbender tribe quickly defeated the other tribes. A treaty was made afterwards: the sandbenders would serve the Water Tribe and provide them with the sand they sought, while the water tribes would help them get water with their waterbenders."

Zei smiled wryly. "Of course, as you may know, the Water Tribes are not very considerate of those that are not part of their Tribe. They can show kindness, but usually only when there is something to gain. The sand and waterbenders of the city, which included her regents, decided that they could manage without the mother Tribe. Through their combined labors the city now had _aqueducts_ leading to the mountains, that's ancient Water Tribe for 'water bridge,' which could irrigate their farms above ground and supply their homes below it. So, they cut all ties with their mother tribe and named this city Jiang Megui, in the dessert fashion. Before that it was known as Ut Rosam. Both meaning 'The Rose.'"

"Why would the Water Tribe name a city after a flower? Aren't those, well, not on the poles?" Aang asked, confused. "And why did they need the sand so badly? They seemed to be doing fine in the Nothern Water Tribe without it."

Zei hummed thoughtfully. "Good question. The answer, fortunately, is the same: the Water Tribe had so called 'green houses.' They would make an ice dome over a patch of ground and plant seeds there, channeling hot water from the local hot springs to keep the temperature in the dome above freezing point. The ice was thin enough to let sunlight in, and it shines all the time in summer, and they often traded with the Fire Nation for ash, which makes soil extremely fertile. When the Water Tribe, eventually, had a surplus in food due to these methods, they started growing and exporting exotic flowers, usually trading with the Air Nomads and Ba Sing Se. However, the ice was not ideal for the more delicate flowers who required more sunlight, so they needed sand, which could be turned into glass. Hence why they decided to go to the dessert. It is also why they named the city as they did: through the city they could grow roses."

Aang was silent for a moment, then voiced another question. "By 'defeating' you mean they killed all the other tribes?"

Zei nodded, before shaking his head. "Only those that would not surrender… which were a lot."

Aang swallowed. "Why… why didn't Kuruk stop them? He was the Avatar then, right?"

The professor opened his mouth to answer when a shadow dropped down from the roof window.

"Found you!" said shadow exclaimed loudly, jabbing a finger at Aang. It took the boy a moment to register the sudden change in his environment, but when that moment had passed he smiled kindly.

"Hey Rosa, what's up?" He asked the girl.

She grinned at him. "The sky." She answered. Then she turned her large brown eyes on Zei. "I'm taking him to go have some fun." She told him, daring him to try and stop her. Zei was up for the challenge.

Taking a sip of his tea, he eyed her unimpressed. "You have interrupted my lesson. I'm sure you know what that means." He told her, voice emotionless, one eyebrow quirked. The tanned girl paled slightly, having heard the rumors. Her knees buckled and she plopped down onto an awaiting pillow. Aang passed her his still mostly full cup of tea and clapped her on the shoulder sympathetically. He used the staff that the people of the delivery office had given him and with a hop launched himself up high enough to grab the edge of the roof window, and with one swing threw himself unto the roof, where he sat down and faintly listen to professor Zei subjugating his new friend to a lesson in history (in the true spirit of punishment, Aang noted that is seemed to be about the tax reforms under the 30th Earth King).

While he waited for them to be done, he mused on a joke the professor had made._ 'Would need to be Wang Shi Tong to know the answer to those questions!'_

He sat there and mused, a rough but potentially fruitful plan forming in his head.

((*))

She found Iroh sitting beneath a tree, fully clad in armor with his generals sitting around him. The generals were discussing something avidly with each other while Iroh looked out over the camp, into Agni descending beneath the mountains slowly.

Most would think the Firelord inattentive of his generals' plans and ideas, but Azula knew better. He was listening. Iroh would always let his advisors and generals speak first, bounce their ideas around in his head and come to a decision quickly when they were all done.

"_Aside from saving you a lot of energy,"_ he had explained to Azula when he had been teaching her_, "by listening to them first, taking in all angles and all pieces of information available, you are able to quickly make a decision. This is to prevent your advising generals from, well, advising too much. You can't let the discussion drag out, allow them to question you if you just start blurting things out without knowing all the facts. Azula, generals have their position for multiple reasons, but one the always have in common: they are ambitious. If they think they can influence you, if they think they can question you, it undermines your authority."_

And in the military, its paramount that it is perfectly clear who was in charge.

Azula cared little for the War at the moment though. She stepped up to them, leaving two of her Yuyan, Jet and Miki some ways behind her. "You," she addressed the generals. "begone."

Some glanced at Iroh, who nodded, before they stood up. Others just stood up, obeying her. All left, and she was alone with Iroh. She loomed over him, but he just grinned easily at her.

"Dear niece, what is so urgent that you must terrify my generals so? Come, sit down, have some tea." Where he'd suddenly pulled a pot and two cups from, she didn't know. She didn't care, and while he poured them tea, she raised her chi, letting it riot just beneath her skin, but the heat waves that rolled of her said enough. A non-firebender would feel unsettled by the oppressing feeling of her power, a firebender would be terrified because they could more accurately judge the full amount of it.

Iroh was neither unsettled nor terrified. He did not flich, or even halt in pouring tea. Instead she felt her energy reach to stifle him, to awe him into seriousness… and hit a wall. Chi burst from Iroh, so much that she felt like she was but a yard away from the surface of the sun, but it did not try to oppress her. It just surrounded her, and the power she emanated, and kept it contained.

He finished pouring their tea, gestured to a pillow he had placed in front of her feet, and she sat down, both because he gestured and because her knees had gone a bit weak. She hated this. She hated being so much weaker than Iroh. As soon as she hit the pillow, his power retreated, the stifling feeling lifted from the air, and his was just sweet uncle Iroh again.

Sweet uncle Iroh, who had reminded her just why he was the famed 'Dragon of the West.'

She took a sip of tea, collected herself and glared het Iroh.

"We need to talk, uncle."

Iroh sighed in response, "I will not change my decision regarding Zuko, so if you have nothing else to discuss, let us discuss the coming battle." He told hier briskly. A pensive silence followed, and Iroh eyed her with a hint of regret. He could probably feel the rage and indignation rolling of her, both at his words and the fashion in which he dismissed her. He placed his cup down, and reached over, grabbing her hand, a more gentle expression on his face.

"What is it, my beloved niece?" He asked. And it was just _so much._ Zuko gone, her nation in peril, so many of her people dead, Toph of on her own in the dangerous desert, and she really liked the little spitfire, her best friends in Water Tribe captivity, Mickey almost broken and, where was her Zu-Zu…?

_Stop_.

As much as she wanted to just have good cry, or burn something down, this wasn't about her. She pulled her hand away.

"We had a tail this journey." She remarked, as carless as she could. Iroh quirked and eyebrow. "A woman with a child in tow. Nothing to worry about, probably just a peasant that wanted to ask something of us. She was sick, after all. Tuberculosis. Don't worry, we cleansed her and ourselves. Anyway,"

She inspected her nails with poise. "we brought the woman back, not because she is particularly interesting, but her child is. You see," and now her eyes were wide with mock wonder. "he can bend fire and looks very much like Zuko did when he was young. But that wasn't _quite_ it. He wasn't _quite_ Zuko." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Though upon closer inspection, which I only needed a second for, you know me, I realized that he resembled the paintings of late dear Lu Ten _very much_."

Iroh's eyes widened, no doubt already mapping out all the implications in his head. Azula was in no mood to spare him. "And with you legitimizing Earth and Fire marriages so Zuko's would be acknowledged, the Law of Absence'-"

"When a male heir appears to a Firelord who has none, and he has either no wife or a wife incapable of bearing heirs, the claim of the heir is legit. Seeing as he is the acknowledged child of my body, he is my heir by law." Iroh finished, eyes closed in deep thought.

Azula nodded, though he did not see it. "Effectively knocking both Zuko and little Sozin out of the line of succession. By the child of a lowborn _peasant."_ She spat. "This can make the whole union between Zuko and Toph pointless, and make us lose the south entirely. The riots aren't little anymore."

Iroh hummed thoughtfully. She could think of a thousand ways to deal with this, but she was honor bound to take the case to Iroh and let him have his say. She wasn't too sure if he had the heart to be ruthless enough to do what had to be done. Life in the Caldera, far from the war, had made him soft.

She heard shuffling behind her, and glanced back, seeing Jet storm toward her, swords out and one of her Yuyan trying to stop the bleeding gash in the other one's stomach. Miki just followed Jet at a moderate pace, showing no sign of concern. _Oh, he does know me well._ "You made a promise princess! Release me and my friends!" He yelled as he approached. Iroh's eyes snapped open and he glanced at the boy. Azula saw him pale slightly at the sight of the scars, at the sight of her work. "Azula, this is just a _boy_!" He growled at her, sadness and rage warring in his eyes.

"A terrorist who would harm or countrymen." She retorted calmly. Iroh shook his head in response. "I promised you free reign, and I will uphold my promise, though I am disappointed in you, Azula." He told her.

That _stung, _more than she would ever admit, but it was of no consequence. She wasn't the good princess, the shining Young Dragon, Zuko. She was Azula, she wasn't nice, and she had a job to do. She stood.

Now she was very close to the boy, who had been hovering over her. Jet's nostrils breathed heavy hot breathes onto her face. She smiled at him. "Yes, I did promise you." She saw his eyes widen, felt his muscles spasm around the lightning coated hand she had just buried in his heart.

"I lied."

**(((***)))**

**Hope you liked it. Summer holiday is almost up, so I'll have more time on my hands, which of course will be spent on making more Blaze for ya'll.**

**Hope you liked it!**


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